Embossing-Based Process Variants for Polymer Microfabrication

Hot embossing is becoming an increasingly important alternative to silicon- and glass-based microfabrication technologies. Continuous enhancement of this process, however, is needed to overcome some process limitations. Several special variants, including rapid-thermal-response embossing, room-temperature embossing, two-station embossing, and localized embossing, have been investigated for further process improvement, with the performance criteria prioritized on the replication fidelity and process efficiency. By means of these embossing variants, economic efficiency and part quality can be enhanced whilst difficult-to-emboss materials and geometries can be incorporated