Plastic MEMS: large scale microstructured materials and surfaces using industrial polymers and plastics

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Microfabrication has been based on inorganic materials since its inception in the 1950's for manufacturing miniaturized circuits. Tremendous advances in the field have been applied towards ever-smaller electronics, and have been adapted for mechanical sensors and actuators through the field of micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS). However, there are applications where silicon based processing and inorganic microfabrication techniques are either inappropriate or too expensive for commercially viable manufacturing. These include microstructured products where individual device sizes must be greater than several square centimeters in size. Recent advances in the field of polymer MEMS offer the possibility of microstructuring materials on continuous films, large area substrates or injection-molded devices - potentially applying the same cost savings to microscale applications that plastics have brought to macroscale products. Developing the tools, technologies and characterization methods for large-area microfabricated polymer structures will address an underserved manufacturing niche and apply microfabrication technologies to inexpensive material coatings, smart surfaces, disposable microfluidic systems and more.