Study on High Resolution Photoforming for Micromachines

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A forming resolution under 10mum is required for application of photoforming to micromachine manufacturing. For the purpose of obtaining the optimum dimensions and shape of solidified cells, we considered a solidification mechanism of light-cured resin and developed a computer model tracing the behaviors of photons with a modified Monte Carlo method. We simulated the behaviors of a large number of photons and obtained the density distribution of absorbed photons and conditions to keep the depth of a solidified layr under 10mum. From these theoretical studies, we arrived at the following conditions ; (1) stabilization of exposure spot diameter, (2) fine control of exposure light amount, (3) more light absorption factor of the resin.Based on these guidelines, we designed the photoforming apparatus which enabled to experiment two kinds of combinations, a) He-Cd laser and ultraviolet light curing resin, and b) Ar^+laser and visible light curing resin with organic dyes. We examined forming experiments using the apparatus and obtained the following resolutions ; about 10mum in the horizontal direction, and about 30mum in the vertical direction by the combination of He-Cd laser and ultraviolet light curing resin, and about 2mum in the horizontal direction and about 5mum in the vertical direction by the combination of Ar^+laser and visible light curing resin with organic dyes. In the visible light case, unnecessary parts like icicles formed in the ultra violet light case were no more found. Microscopic movable mechanisms were successfully fabricated and endured in 10,000 operations without failure when maximum strain was kept under 2% strain.