Additive Manufacturing of Micro-scale Tunnels on a Silicon Substrate with in-situ UV LED Curing for MEMS Applications

The present study aims to develop an alternative approach to form quasi-cylindrical micro-scale tunnels on a silicon substrate using additive manufacturing technologies. A UV curable polymer is line-printed on the surface of a silicon wafer by needle dispensing. A tail-like thin metal wire is fixed at the needle tip and travels with the needle in order to form a hollow tunnel-like structure. A UV LED light source is integrated for in-situ curing so that the geometry of hollow polymeric tunnel can be preserved without collapse. The inner diameter of the formed quasicylindrical tunnel is at the order of 100 micron.