Fabrication of Mutilayered Microgear Using a Vertically Modularized and Sectioned Micromold System by X-ray Micromachining Process

Abstract

In the present study, a vertically modularized and sectioned micromold system (v-MSMS) is proposed and developed by synchrotron X-ray micromachining process. The developed v-MSMS is a novel concept of constructing a micromold system by stacking several micromold modules. As one representative application of the present v-MSMS, micromold system with several kinds of spur gear patterns was fabricated using deep X-ray lithography and a subsequent nickel electroforming process. Then, the usefulness of v-MSMS was demonstrated by casting the microgear with multiple layers. The proposed technique can be a useful tool for the mass replication of multilayered mechanical components, various micro parts, complicated microstructures, and so on. (C) 2011 The Japan Society of Applied Physics