A Review on 3D Micro-Additive Manufacturing Technologies
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:1721–1754 DOI 10.1007/s00170-012-4605-2 ORIGINAL ARTICLE A review on 3D micro-additive manufacturing technologies Mohammad Vaezi & Hermann Seitz & Shoufeng Yang Received: 27 June 2011 /Accepted: 30 October 2012 /Published online: 25 November 2012 # Springer-Verlag London 2012 Abstract New microproducts need the utilization of a di- 1 Introduction versity of materials and have complicated three-dimensional (3D) microstructures with high aspect ratios. To date, many Nowadays, there is an enormous variety in microproducts, micromanufacturing processes have been developed but the major kinds being microelectromechanical systems specific class of such processes are applicable for fabrication (MEMS), micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems of functional and true 3D microcomponents/assemblies. The (MOEMS), and microelectronic products and micro-optical aptitude to process a broad range of materials and the ability electronics systems (MOES) depending on the mixtures of to fabricate functional and geometrically complicated 3D product usefulness and operation fundamentals [197]. Due microstructures provides the additive manufacturing (AM) to the present tendency towards miniaturization of products processes some profits over traditional methods, such as in many industries comprising medical, automotive, optics, lithography-based or micromachining approaches investi- electronics, and biotechnology sectors [4], there is a demand gated widely in the past. In this paper, 3D micro-AM pro- for improvements in micro- and nanofabrication technolo- cesses have been classified into three main groups, gies and merging them in new manufacturing platforms. including scalable micro-AM systems, 3D direct writing, A broad range of microfabrication technologies have been and hybrid processes, and the key processes have been developed which have different applications and capabilities reviewed comprehensively. Principle and recent progress as their fundamentals are very diverse. Several classification of each 3D micro-AM process has been described, and the schemes have been suggested by researchers to categorize advantages and disadvantages of each process have been microfabrication techniques. Masuzawa [171] focused on presented. micromachining processes and classified them according to the implemented machining approach. Madou [167]catego- Keywords Additive manufacturing (AM) . Direct writing rized the microfabrication techniques as lithographic and non- (DW) . Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) . Rapid lithographic methods. Perhaps the most widespread micromanufacturing classification is that of Brinksmeier et al. [24] and Brousseau et al. [26] in which micromanufacturing has been classified in two generic technology groups: microsystem technologies (MST) and microengineering technologies (MET). MST en- compass the processes for the manufacture of MEMS and M. Vaezi (*) : S. Yang MOEMS while MET cover the processes for the production Engineering Materials Group, Engineering Sciences, of highly precise mechanical components, moulds, and micro- Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, structured surfaces. An alternative classification was sug- University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK gested by Dimov et al. [59] in which micromanufacturing e-mail: [email protected] technologies have been categorized according to their process “dimension” and material relevance. H. Seitz Microfabrication technologies can also be categorized Fluid Technology and Microfluidics, University of Rostock, correspondingly as MEMS manufacturing and non-MEMS Rostock 18059, Germany manufacturing [198]. MEMS manufacturing includes 1722 Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:1721–1754 widely methods, such as laser ablation; plating; photolithog- 2 Description and classification of 3D micro-AM raphy; lithography, electroplating, and molding (LIGA— German acronym); chemical etching; etc. Non-MEMS man- Among attainable alternatives, additive manufacturing ufacturing generally includes methods, such as microextru- (AM) processes that are based on layer-by-layer manu- sion, laser patterning/cutting/drilling, EDM, microinjection facturing are identified as an effective method to attain molding, microembossing, microstamping, micromechani- true 3D microproducts. 3D micro-AM can be classified cal cutting, etc. [197]. Also depending on the used materials, into three main groups, including: scalable AM technol- microfabrication technologies are categorized as silicon- ogies which can be employed for both macro- and based and nonsilicon material microfabrication. microscale, 3D direct writing (3DDW) technologies Many microfabrication processes have been developed up which have been merely developed for microscale and to the present, but such techniques are restricted when utilized hybrid processes (Fig. 1). to new microproducts which need the employment of a diver- AM technologies have been widely utilized within a sity of materials and have complicated three-dimensional (3D) decade with the purpose of producing complicated 3D com- microstructures with high aspect ratios. Recently, there has ponents. Fabrication of 3D microparts/structures is also been fast improvement in micromanufacturing of 3D micro- within the reach of some specific AM technologies via structures utilizing different methods and materials. implementation of some essential modifications and Manufacturing technologies for 3D microcomponents play an improvements to get proper conditions for microfabrication. important role in various areas of modern technologies in the Scalable AM technologies, including: stereolithography evolvement of very functional applications such as biochips, (SL; which is called micro-SL (MSL) in microscale), selec- MEMS, microfluidic devices, photonic crystals, etc. [138, tive laser sintering (SLS; which is called microlaser sinter- 144]. In MEMS technology, demand for fabricating complex ing (MLS) in microscale), 3D printing (3DP), inkjet printing microstructures from wide range of materials such as ceramics, processes, fused deposition modelling (FDM), and laminat- metals, polymers, and semiconductor materials is observed. ed object manufacturing (LOM) are the first group of the MEMS technology will improve substantially if more technology which have been regarded as a promising ap- complicated 3D microstructures can be created to fabricate proach for true 3D micromanufacturing and can be integrated microsensors, medical devices, or micro-optical employed efficiently to fabricate complex 3D microcompo- systems. Especially, fabrication of 3D microcomponents/ nents/assemblies. However, this class of micro-AM systems assemblies which involve moving parts is a great challenge (except MSL) still suffers by some difficulties for micro- in micromechanics field. Some micromanufacturing meth- scale manufacturing as AM technologies have been devel- ods such as soft lithography [259], laser photoablation oped mainly for normal-size fabrication. Some limitations of [178], localized electrochemical deposition [166], the this group are due to its temperament and are same for both LIGA process [17, 69], etc., have been developed to pro- normal- and microsize manufacturing but some other limi- mote the ability of the technology for more complicated tations are for adaptation of this group for microsize microstructures. The LIGA process uses masked X-ray/laser manufacturing. radiation to incorporate thick resist layers to fabricate high The second group of 3D micro-AM processes is 3DDW aspect ratio microparts [11]. The LIGA process is restricted technologies. DW technologies have been developed basi- in producing 2.5D microparts and manufacture of complex cally for two-dimensional (2D) writing but some of DW 3D microstructure was still a challenge. Several processes methods such as laser chemical vapor deposition (LCVD), have been examined for solving the critical problem of 3D focused ion beam (FIB)DW, aerosol jet process, laser- micromanufacturing. In this way, the electrochemical fabri- induced forward transfer (LIFT), matrix-assisted pulsed- cation (EFAB) process has been developed as an improved laser direct write (MAPLE), and nozzle dispensing process- LIGA process to produce complicated 3D metal microparts es (including precision pump and syringe-based deposition layer by layer [47, 50]. Different 3D microparts can be methods) can be utilized (or have potential) to produce high- produced using these methods from engineering materials, resolution 3D microstructures/components. Among DW but majority of the processes (except EFAB) were devel- technologies, 3D-LCVD and FIBDW are used more effi- oped for 2.5D micromanufacturing, which does not have the ciently to produce 3D microstructures. Nozzle dispensing aptitude to produce a perfect and real 3D microparts. techniques are currently used to produce 3D microperiodic Multilayered photolithography [238] and deep proton writ- structures for different applications. Aerosol jet process is ing [55, 240] were results of some earlier attempts toward served less for microfabrication of true 3D microstructures, true 3D microfabrication. New approaches such as micro- but it has high potential for use in 3D applications. Some additive manufacturing (micro-AM) can also be considered other DW approaches, such as LIFT and MAPLE can be to enhance capability of microfabrication technology in true used in a layer-by-layer process to build 3D structures, but 3D microcomponents manufacturing area. they are still under development