Laser-printed magnetic-polymer microstructures

Abstract

We developed a new process for laser-printing a thinfilm magnetic-polymer composite microstructural material directly onto planar silicon substrates and characterized its magnetic and mechanical properties. Using this technique we fabricated cantilever beams 100-2000μm long, 100-500μm wide, and 6-8μm thick. An external magnet was used to demonstrate actuation via magnetic field gradient forces, and a scanner was constructed able to deflect a laser beam 3˚. This technique takes advantage of advances in commercial laser printing technology and is suitable for low-cost, low-temperature, large-area MEMS devices and rapid MEMS fabrication on a variety of substrates.

A reel-to-reel compatible printed accelerometer

“…Beam bending measurements show the polystyrene composite to have a microscale Young's modulus of E≈1.8GPa compared to experimental values for solid polystyrene ranging from 3.2-3.8GPa [7] [10]. The factor of two difference between these values is attributable to the material's microscale porosity.…”

“…Passive fluidic micromixers have been printed onto plastic transparencies using both laser printing [4] and wax transfer printing [5]. Inkjet printing has been used to directly pattern and deposit conductors, dielectrics, and piezoelectric materials for MEMS device fabrication [6] The fabrication technique discussed here builds on work using laser print patterned polystyrene MEMS devices [7], laser-printed layers for etch masking [8] and fabrication using micromilled plastics [9]. These…”

Capacitive accelerometer laboratory using polymer-film rapid prototyping technology

“…The lab consists of two, three-hour long sessions in addition to a pre-lab in which students design, fabricate and characterize the accelerometers. It replaces a previous lab, which used laser-printed polymer and wet etching [1].…”

Suspended magnetic polymer structures fabricated using dose‐controlled ultraviolet exposure

“…Gach et al [22] presented transparent magnetic photoresists which can be utilised to form micropallet arrays for cell separation using a magnetic field. Klejwa et al [23] proposed a laser-printing process for creating patterned thin film magnetic-polymer composite microstructures directly on planar silicon substrates. Li et al [24] employed an inexpensive photopatternable magnetic polymer for realising heterogeneous magnetic structures.…”