Fabricate aluminium mold by hot embossing method for manufacturing of polymeric micro-devices

Abstract

Hot embossing is one of the common technologies for replication of microstructures in polymers. Cost-effective replication of components is crucial for the mass manufacture of a wide range of micro scale products. One such application area is in micro-fluidic devices fabrications. The requirement of cost-effective replication is emphasized by the cost of fabrication, complexity of procedure and steps involved in the process. The aim of this project is to investigate and fabricate a high quality aluminum alloy micro mold with good surface finishing and long mold lifespan for replication of micro devices. Aluminium alloy 6061 (AA6061) material is used in this project as mold material. Subsequent to fabrication, characterization of the mold is carried out with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Confocal Imaging. There are a total of four batches of AA6061 molds fabricated with microfeature sizes around 200 μm in width and 65 μm in depth.