High Aspect Ratio Microstructures Research Articles

A PDMS-Al Triboelectric Nanogenerator Using Two-Pulse Laser to Enhance Effective Contact Area and Its Application.

A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a kind of energy harvester which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy with electron transfer and transport between two different materials during cycling tribology. To increase the contact area between tribo-layers and enhance the output of TENGs, many studies prepare patterned micro/nanostructured tribo-layers using semiconductor processes like lithography and etching at high cost and with long processing times. Here, we propose a new method to quickly produce high-aspect-ratio (HAR) microneedles of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for TENG triboelectric layers using a two-pulse laser-ablated polymethyl methacrylate mold and casting. It has the merit of employing low-cost CO2 laser microfabrication and polymer casting in a feasible way to produce efficient tribo-electric layers. Two-pulse laser ablation is an efficient method for fabricating HAR microstructures with increasing depth at a constant width and density compared to single-pulse ablation. It enhances the depth of microneedles at a constant width and successfully casts PDMS tribo-layers with microneedles that have an aspect ratio 1.88 times higher than those produced by the traditional single-pulse process. The microneedle-PDMS (MN-PDMS) layer is combined with Al sheets to form the MN-PDMS-Al TENG. Compared with the flat PDMS-Al TENG and single-pulse PDMS-Al TENG, the two-pulse TENG enhances open-circuit voltage (Voc) by 1.63 and 1.48 times, the short-circuit current (Isc) by 1.92 and 1.47 times, and the output power by 3.69 and 2.16 times, respectively. This two-pulse ablation method promotes the output performance of TENGs, which has the potential for applications in self-powered devices and sustainable energy.

Ultrablack surface with omnidirectional high absorption.

Black surface plays an important role in solar-thermal conversion systems and space optical systems. Despite the significant efforts in developing a black surface with strong broadband absorption, realizing scalable omnidirectional high absorption ultrablack surfaces remains challenging. Here, we report an ultrablack surface based on a structural black paint (SBP), realized by femtosecond (fs) laser fabrication of high aspect ratio microstructure mold followed by mold transferring on black paint coating. The SBP exhibits extremely low hemispheric reflectance (R < 1.2%) in the solar spectrum at a normal incident angle; even at an 80° incident angle, the SBP also has good anti-reflection performance (R < 9%). Based on such properties, we further show the enhanced solar-thermal performance over commercial black paints. Our approach holds promises for scalable and cost-effective manufacturing of ultrablack surface, with potential applications in solar-thermal conversion efficiency improvement and space optical system stray light suppression.

Antireflection microstructures on ZnSe for mid- and far-IR fabricated by femtosecond laser ablation assisted with wet chemical etching

Most infrared materials used in high-power systems, such as optical parametric generators, have high values of refractive indices, which result in high Fresnel losses. The performance of conventional antireflection coatings is limited when used in high-power and ultra-broadband systems. An alternative approach is to fabricate antireflection microstructures (ARMs) that allow for a broadband increase in transmittance without reducing the damage threshold of the material. In this work, ARMs were fabricated on the surface of ZnSe crystals using the femtosecond laser ablation assisted with wet chemical etching method. This allowed to produce high aspect ratio microstructures that increase the transmittance up to 98% in the mid- and far- infrared regions.

Facile preparation of superhydrophobic PVDF/MWCNTs distillation membranes: Synthesis, characteristics and separation performance

In recent years, membrane distillation (MD) has emerged as an effective solution to mitigate the high energy consumption associated with conventional fermentable sugar concentration processes. However, the inherent low mechanical strength of traditional organic membrane surfaces can result in issues related to membrane wetting during long-term MD experiments. In this work, superhydrophobic PVDF/MWCNTs (multi-walled carbon nanotubes) distillation membranes with high mechanical strength were prepared by a combination of templating and co-blending techniques. The process involved peeling the semi-gelation membrane from a sandpaper template, subsequently forming a high aspect ratio microstructure on the membrane surface via tearing and pulling. Additionally, the incorporation of MWCNTs further bolstered the mechanical strength of the membrane. At a peeling time of 90 s and a MWCNTs content of 0.08 wt%, the distillation membrane exhibited an impressive water contact angle of 153.2°, indicating it possess exceptional hydrophobicity while maintaining high mechanical strength. The separation performance of the prepared distillation membranes has been inspected by conducting both experimental analyses and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the entire MD process. An appropriate elevation in both feed flow rate and temperature could effectively mitigate the problem of temperature and concentration polarization on the membrane surface. PVDF/MWCNTs distillation membrane demonstrated a modest reduction in permeate flux of about 11.69 % and a stable rejection rate exceeding 99.95 % throughout a 100-hour operational period, and it required only 15 h to concentration of aqueous glucose solution to 100 g/L, significantly enhancing the efficiency of the process. This study also employed a combination of experiments and simulations to optimizes the process conditions guiding the vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) process and could provide guidance for the future application of membrane distillation in the concentration of sugar solutions.

Comparison between Injection Molding (IM) and Injection‐Compression Molding (ICM) for Mass Manufacturing of Thermoplastic Microfluidic Devices

AbstractPoint‐of‐care (PoC) and organ‐on‐chip (OoC) devices represent promising microfluidic applications for in vitro analysis and miniaturized analytical studies, reducing the need for traditional animal‐based tests for drug discovery and toxicity studies. Using thermoplastics in microfluidic device manufacturing provides interesting functionalities for expansion of these devices into market. However, market growth requires manufacturing large quantities for low cost, which can be achieved using injection molding techniques. This work involves the design of a microfluidic device with different aspect ratio channels to compare injection molding (IM) and injection‐compression molding (ICM) processes, as well as the design and manufacturing of a metallic insert containing machined inverted microstructures. Injected parts are validated visually, dimensionally, and functionally. The differences between both techniques and two grades of cyclic olefin copolymer materials are analyzed to evaluate microfluidic device mass production feasibility concluding that although the machining process for inverted high aspect ratio microstructures is not mature yet, both IM and ICM processes allow the mass manufacturing of microfluidic devices in thermoplastic. Parts processed by ICM show better replicability of microfluidic structures and less internal stresses generate during the injection process than IM parts, highlighting the potential of this process to achieve thermoplastic microfluidic devices to market.

Fabrication of CaSiO3 LTCC high aspect ratio microstructure by laser chemical assisted micro-milling

As a new generation of chip-packaging materials, CaSiO3 LTCC substrates have the characteristics of high frequency, low thermal expansion coefficient, and low dielectric loss. These materials are widely used in radar communication and other industries. However, in the condition of high heat density, it is difficult to adapt calcium silicate with a low thermal conductivity to the heat dissipation requirements. To improve the heat dissipation performance, high-aspect-ratio heat-dissipation microchannels must be prepared on the surface of the CaSiO3 LTCC substrate. In this study, a new nanosecond laser and chemical milling-assisted micro-milling (NLCAM) method is proposed. The processing mechanism of the nanosecond laser ablation of CaSiO3 is explored and the influence of the laser parameters on the depth of the etching groove, top width, and hardness of the residual modified layer are studied by establishing a laser energy superposition model and test method. The improvement of milling force and milling surface quality by laser is studied. The results demonstrate that the laser power has the most significant effect on the ablation depth and width of the top of the CaSiO3; the excess heat diffuses outside the laser irradiation area, increasing the width of the top of the CaSiO3 beyond the designed width. With an increase in the scanning speed and scanning distance, the ablation depth exhibited a decreasing trend, corresponding to the laser energy model. Nanosecond laser chemical milling (NLCM) can reduce the hardness of the material by 72.0–77.2%. The maximum reduction in the average axial milling force was 56.8%, and the fluctuation of milling force is reduced. Compared to pure micro milling, the tool wear area of NLCAM was reduced by 89.3% and the average roughness Sa of the bottom surface of the microgroove was reduced to 0.392 μm, which confirms the high-quality and efficient machining of the CaSiO3 LTCC substrate.

Very High-Aspect-Ratio Polymeric Micropillars Made by Two-Photon Polymerization.

Polymeric micropillars with a high-aspect-ratio (HAR) are of interest for a wide range of applications, including drug delivery and the micro-electro-mechanical field. While molding is the most common method for fabricating HAR microstructures, it is affected by challenges related to demolding the final structure. In this study, we present very HAR micropillars using two-photon polymerization (TPP), an established technique for creating complex 3D microstructures. Polymeric micropillars with HARs fabricated by TPP often shrink and collapse during the development process. This is due to the lack of mechanical stability of micropillars against capillary forces primarily acting during the fabrication process when the solvent evaporates. Here, we report different parameters that have been optimized to overcome the capillary force. These include surface modification of the substrate, fabrication parameters such as laser power, exposure time, the pitch distance between the pillars, and the length of the pillars. On account of adopting these techniques, we were able to fabricate micropillars with a very HAR up to 80.

“4+2” axis ultra-precision diamond shaping for partially overlapping Fresnel lenses based on an ultra-precision machine tool and two additional rotational axes

Optical surfaces and microstructures with high form accuracy and excellent surface quality are widely utilized nowadays and the diamond machining technology is still preferable for the fabrication of these workpieces. However, when machining surfaces featuring a high aspect ratio or intricate microstructures like monolithic microstructural optics, the machining efficiency is quite low and the cutting tool interference is inevitable for the existing diamond turning techniques. Hence, a novel method is proposed to machine such microstructures by introducing two additional rotational motions into the traditional ultra-precision machine tool. In this way, the arbitrary adjustment of the tool posture may be achieved in the machining process and intricate microstructures like monolithic microstructural optics can also be machined by the side cutting edge with high efficiency. The whole mechanical system and machining principle are presented firstly. Next, the tool path planning and the compensation for the tool tip offset are introduced. Then, the partially overlapping Fresnel lens array consisting of two segmented Fresnel lenses are fabricated and inspected. Finally, the measurement data are analyzed and the proposed method is validated to be able to fabricate such complex microstructures with high profile accuracy and surface quality successfully.

Near thermal-electric field controlled electrohydrodynamic 3D printing of high aspect ratio microstructures

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing is an effective method for high-resolution two-dimensional patterning because of its high material compatibility. The latest research on three-dimensional (3D) structure fabrication has been reported for metal nanoparticles, small molecular materials, and phase change materials by process regulation. One of the main challenges in conventional EHD 3D printing of polymers is the low accuracy of filament deposition and stacking at the microscale. It is difficult to achieve a high aspect ratio (AR) for printed structures. This study develops an external field-assisted EHD printing process for polymer materials, where the filament formation can be improved by the near thermal field and the stacking accuracy of filaments is further promoted by applying an alternating voltage between layers. The feasibility of this method is demonstrated by printing polystyrene, a typical polymer material, on the silicon substrate with. The regulatory effect of the process parameters on the filament width is explored. The influence of the external thermal field on filament formation and deposition is discussed, and a promotion mechanism is revealed of alternating voltage for accurate deposition. Based on these combinative effects, micro-scale 3D structures with a high AR are successfully printed on the insulating substrate with three kinds of polymers.

Laser Superdiffraction Optical Needle Direct Writing Lithography Method for Single‐Exposure Fabrication of High‐Aspect‐Ratio Microstructures

AbstractIn this paper, a laser superdiffraction optical needle direct writing lithography method for single‐exposure fabrication of high‐aspect‐ratio microstructures (HARMs) is proposed. The principles of 3/4 circular image focusing and lithography exposure are theoretically analyzed, and the experimental setup is built. Experiments show that the linear interval and focusing accuracy of this method can reach 60 and 0.1 µm, respectively. Compared with the circular image focusing method, this method can determine the direction of defocus through the opening direction of the 3/4 circular spot. In addition, an optical needle with a resolution of 0.308 µm, a depth of focus of 1.836 µm, and an aspect ratio of 5.9538 is achieved by tightly focusing a radially polarized beam modulated by an annular amplitude type modulator with an annular factor of 0.7. Using this optical needle as the direct writing head, the HARM with a line width of 0.22 µm, a depth of 1.76 µm, and an aspect ratio of 8 is obtained experimentally by adjusting the photolithographic process parameters in combination with the focus detection curve. This method has the advantages of high fabrication efficiency, super diffraction resolution and high‐aspect‐ratio, which provides a new research idea for the fabrication of HARMs.

Template-free scalable fabrication of linearly periodic microstructures by controlling ribbing defects phenomenon during forward roll coating

Linear periodic microstructures are of significant importance in various applications, including drag-reduction, biofouling, self-cleaning, and superhydrophobicity. However, practical applications of such surfaces require mass manufacturing techniques, which are highly limited. This study demonstrated a simple template-free scalable manufacturing technique to fabricate linearly periodic microstructure by controlling the ribbing defects in forward roll coating. A viscoelastic polymer nanocomposite with tailored properties was synthesized and utilized as the coating material. The ribbing instabilities were controlled with process parameters that resulted in variable periodicity of the linearly aligned microstructures with a spacing of 114 – 700 µm. The microstructure arrangement also had a linear to random transition as the instabilities increased. The manufactured surface has a high Wenzel roughness factor that ranges from 1.6 to 3.6, which results in water contact angles of 128o to 150o. The linear microstructure films can have critical applications in the mass manufacturing of drag reduction surfaces. The high aspect-ratio microstructure films can also have applications in superhydrophobic, self-cleaning, anti-icing, and anti-biofouling surfaces.

Investigation on chip formation mechanism of high-aspect-ratio micro-milled structures

Miniaturized components with High-Aspect-Ratio (HAR) have extensive applications in aerospace, biomedicine, and optical fields. However, the chip formation mechanism of HAR micro-structures is closely related to the machined surface quality and accuracy with insufficient attention at present. The minimum cutting thickness is changing in micro-milling, which leads to the transition from elastic deformation via elastic-plastic deformation to chip formation process. In this work, the chip formation mechanism of micro-structures with High-Aspect-Ratio is thoroughly studied considering the minimum cutting thickness, tool types and milling parameters from the theoretical and experimental perspective. Micro-milling experiments were carried out with single-edged PCD and two-fluted cemented carbide micro-milling cutters, and the chip characteristics and formation mechanism of HAR micro-grooves was further analyzed in detail. The quantitative evaluation of the top-burrs and comprehensive analysis of side-wall surface topography were conducted to investigate the influence of chip formation and chip removal on machined quality of HAR micro-grooves. The results suggest that the chip formation and characteristics of HAR micro-grooves has a significant relationship with the tool performance, milling parameters and side-wall limitation. The aspect-ratio has a negative impact on the effective chip removal which further promotes top-burr dimensions and reduces side-wall surface quality. Sharp micro-cutters with large chip space and exceptional wear-resistance are recommended for machining HAR micro-structures.

Laser micromachining of diamond: A viable photonic and optofluidic platform

We describe how the ultrafast laser micromachining technique applied with different writing methods can be used for the creation of various building blocks essential for the realization of a photonic and optofluidic diamond platform. Waveguides, NV centers, conductive wires, microchannels and microholes can be obtained thanks to laser microfabrication with suitable pulse parameters, making use not only of standard Gaussian laser beams but also of non-diffracting Bessel beams, the latter especially in all those cases where single pass high aspect-ratio microstructures or ablated areas are needed.

High-Precision Fabrication of Micro Monolithic Tungsten Ball Tips via Arc Discharge and the Taguchi Method.

A micro ball tip is a core component of high precision coordinate measuring machines. The present micro ball tips cannot satisfy the high-precision measuring requirements of high aspect ratio microstructures due to their large diameter and low accuracy. In the previous study, we fabricated a micro monolithic tungsten ball tip by using arc discharge and surface tension principles. However, the fabrication success rate of forming a micro ball tip is less than 10%. In the present study, the Taguchi method has been applied to increase the fabrication success rate, and it has increased to 57.5%. The output response is evaluated in terms of the diameter, roundness, and center offset of the tungsten probe ball tips. The smaller-the-better signal-to-noise ratio is applied to analyze the influence of various parameters. The proposed parameters can be used to increase the fabrication success rate and accuracy of the monolithic probe ball tip.

Fabrication of High Aspect Ratio Micro-Structures with Superhydrophobic and Oleophobic Properties by Using Large-Area Roll-to-Plate Nanoimprint Lithography.

Bio-inspired surfaces with superamphiphobic properties are well known as effective candidates for antifouling technology. However, the limitation of large-area mastering, patterning and pattern collapsing upon physical contact are the bottleneck for practical utilization in marine and medical applications. In this study, a roll-to-plate nanoimprint lithography (R2P NIL) process using Morphotonics’ automated Portis NIL600 tool was used to replicate high aspect ratio (5.0) micro-structures via reusable intermediate flexible stamps that were fabricated from silicon master molds. Two types of Morphotonics’ in-house UV-curable resins were used to replicate a micro-pillar (PIL) and circular rings with eight stripe supporters (C-RESS) micro-structure onto polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foil substrates. The pattern quality and surface wettability was compared to a conventional polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) soft lithography process. It was found that the heights of the R2P NIL replicated PIL and C-RESS patterns deviated less than 6% and 5% from the pattern design, respectively. Moreover, the surface wettability of the imprinted PIL and C-RESS patterns was found to be superhydro- and oleophobic and hydro- and oleophobic, respectively, with good robustness for the C-RESS micro-structure. Therefore, the R2P NIL process is expected to be a promising method to fabricate robust C-RESS micro-structures for large-scale anti-biofouling application.

Experimental Study on Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted WECDM of Glass Microstructures with a High Aspect Ratio

With the rapid development of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMSs), the demand for glass microstructure is increasing. For the purpose of achieving high quality and stable machining of glass microstructures with a high aspect ratio, ultrasonic vibration is applied into the micro-wire electrochemical discharge machining (WECDM), which is proposed as ultrasonic vibration-assisted WECDM with a micro helical electrode. Firstly, the formation of a gas film on the surface of the helical electrode in WECDM machining is simulated, meaning the thickness of the gas film can be reduced by adding suitable ultrasonic amplitude, thus reducing the critical voltage, then the machining localization and stability were enhanced. Then, the micro helical electrode with a diameter of 100 μm is used to carry out sets of experiments that study the influence of ultrasonic amplitude, machining voltage, duty factor, pulse frequency, and feed rate on the slit width. The experimental results show that the machining stability and quality are significantly improved by adding suitable ultrasonic amplitude. When the amplitude was 5.25 μm, the average slit width was reduced to 128.63 μm with a decrease of 20.78%. Finally, with the optimized machining parameters, micro planar coil structure and microcantilever structure with a high aspect ratio were fabricated successfully on the glass plate. It is proved that ultrasonic vibration-assisted WECDM with the micro helical electrode method can meet the requirements of high aspect ratio microstructure machining for hard and brittle materials.

Gold‐Mushroom Microelectrode Arrays and the Quest for Intracellular‐Like Recordings: Perspectives and Outlooks

AbstractThe ongoing search to decode the brain communication system has propelled major advancements in bioelectronics research. From these, planar microelectrode arrays (MEAs) offer the possibility to record neuronal signals for extremely long periods of time and to probe fundamental principles of learning and adaptation. Unfortunately, MEAs have low neuronal coupling and are thus insensitive to sub‐threshold neuronal signals such as post‐synaptic responses. To surpass this major limitation, a novel category based on 3D high aspect ratio microstructures has emerged. In particular, gold‐mushroom microelectrode arrays (GMμEAs) have appeared as a solution. Their unique morphology, promoting cell engulfment without penetrating the neuron, prevents the occurrence of cell repairing mechanisms common in other microelectrodes. This new class of recording and/or stimulating devices have opened the door to the vast communication system of neuronal cells by enhancing the cell–microelectrode interface. This review compiles the fundamentals of these promising devices including their fabrication, work principles and focusing on how the different morphological parameters affect the recording performance. Although limitations exist, there is a growing interest to explore the new solutions that GMμEAs still offer, both as an electrophysiological tool (e.g., cell guidance) or in applications such as plasmonics.

Challenges in fabrication of high aspect ratio electrostatic comb-drive microactuator using one-step X-ray lithography

A High Aspect Ratio (HAR) electrostatic comb-drive microactuator of polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) is designed to deliver nearly 40 µm uniaxial displacement at 25 V DC. The HAR comb-drive microstructures are fabricated via one-step X-ray lithography (OXL). Polyimide-Au X-ray mask is fabricated and used to pattern 200 μm, 500 μm and 800 μm thick PMMA by deep X-ray lithography (DXRL), followed by drying/release and selective metallization for the development of HAR electrostatic microactuator. The release was optimized with the help of various low-surface-tension liquids. 200 μm and 500 μm thick microstructures were successfully released whereas, 800 μm structures could not be released due to the higher depth and associated capillary force. In addition, non-uniform distribution of Au on the side walls of overlapped region of comb fingers, during metallization, resulted in uneven distribution of electrostatic force followed by short-circuiting of HAR (i.e. 40) microactuator. These are the potential issues in the fabrication of HAR microstructures and devices by OXL and discussed in details in this paper.

Improving Machining Localization and Surface Roughness in Wire Electrochemical Micromachining Using a Rotating Ultrasonic Helix Electrode.

Wire electrochemical micromachining (WECMM) technology is regarded a promising method to fabricate high aspect ratio microstructures on hard-to-machining materials, however, the by-product accumulation in the machining gap limits its application. In this paper, a new method called ultrasonic-assisted wire electrochemical micromachining (UA-WECMM) is proposed to improve the machining performance of WECMM. Firstly, a flow-field simulation in the machining gap was carried out; the results showed that the ultrasonic vibration of electrode can remarkably enhance the mass transport in the machining gap and improve the machining condition. Secondly, experiments were performed to confirm the effect of ultrasonic vibration, which illustrated that the vibration with proper amplitude can reduce the slit width and improve the morphology of machined surface. Moreover, the influence of other machining parameters were also discussed. Finally, a T-type micro connector with good surface roughness (Ra 0.286 μm) was fabricated on a 300-μm-thick 304 stainless steel workpiece and a micro gear (diameter: 3.362 mm; Ra: 0.271 μm) with an aspect ratio of 7 was fabricated on a 2-mm-thick workpiece. It is proved that the proposed ultrasonic-assisted wire electrochemical micromachining method has considerable potential and broad application prospects.

Amplitude-phase optimized long depth of focus femtosecond axilens beam for single-exposure fabrication of high-aspect-ratio microstructures.

Fabrication of high-aspect-ratio (HAR) micro/nanostructures by two-photon polymerization (TPP) has become a hot topic because of the advantages of ultra-high resolution and true 3D printing ability. However, the low efficiency caused by point-by-point scanning strategy limits its application. In this Letter, we propose a strategy for the rapid fabrication of HAR microstructures by combining TPP with an amplitude-phase optimized long depth of focus laser beam (LDFB). The optimization of the LDFB is implemented by modulating the amplitude and phase on a phase-only spatial light modulator, which can suppress the side lobe and smooth energy oscillations effectively. The LDFB is used for rapid fabrication of HAR micropillars and various microstructures, which greatly increases the fabrication efficiency. As a demonstration, several typical HAR microstructures such as assemblies, microchannels, microtubes, and cell scaffolds are prepared. Moreover, the microcapture arrays are rapidly fabricated for the capture of microspheres and the formation of microlens arrays, which show focusing and imaging ability.