CAREER: Rapid Production of Plastic Microstructures

这个教师早期职业发展（Career）计划旨在开发高纵横比微结构成型的新技术，并开展微结构和微成型基础研究。开发了一种快速热响应成型工艺，以提高成型低应力产品的生产率。该技术可适用于微成型，以解决过早冻结问题，同时保持较短的周期时间。高纵横向微结构的成型结果将用于验证模拟聚合物熔体在微腔中的填充过程的方法。重点研究和教育活动包括：(1)将快速热响应技术与热塑性微成型工艺相结合，即微注射成型和热压成型。(2)表征聚合物熔体的微尺度粘度及微尺度下的尺寸效应。(3)模拟聚合物熔体在微腔中的锉削过程。(4)开设研究生和本科生的聚合物微加工课程，并加强现有的材料加工和制造课程。(5)建立一个由本科生和研究生参与的聚合物微加工综合研究和教育实验室。该项目的主要影响包括：(1)高纵横比微结构的快速生产技术，这将对快速增长的电信和生物医学行业产生重大影响。(2)表征和模拟微尺度聚合物流动的能力，将提供对聚合物微制造的基本理解。(3)综合研究和教育计划将为学生提供教育机会，从事聚合物微加工的前沿研究项目。

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) plan seeks to develop new technology for molding high-aspect-ratio microstructures and conduct fundamental research in microstructures and fundamental research in micromolding. A rapid thermal response molding process has been developed to increase productivity in molding low-stress products. The technology can be adapted to micromolding to solve the premature freezing problem while maintaining short cycle times. Molding results of high-aspect-ration microstructures will be used to validate an approach for simulating the filling process of polymer melts in microcavities. The key research and education activities include: (1) Integrating the rapid thermal response technology with thermoplastic micromolding processes, i.e., microinjection molding and hot embossing. (2) Characterizing the microscale viscosity of polymer melts and the size effect in microscale. (3) Simulating the filing process of polymer melts in microcavities. (4) Developing a graduate and undergraduate course in polymer microfabrication and enhancing several existing courses in materials processing and manufacturing. (5) Developing an integrated research and education laboratory in polymer microfabrication with involvement of both undergraduate and graduate students.The key impacts of this project include: (1) The technology for rapid production of high-aspect-ratio microstructures that will impact significantly in the fast growing telecommunication and biomedical industries. (2) The capability in characterizing and modeling microscale polymeric flows that will provide a fundamental understanding of polymer microfabrication. (3) The integrated research and education program will provide educational opportunities for students to work on leading edge research projects in polymer microfabrication.