A new sacrificial layer method of LIGA technology to fabricate movable part of a gripper

Abstract

 Movable microstructures are required for many applications in accelerator sensors, microvalves, micromotors, grippers and so on. With the LIGA technique, movable components can be fabricated directly by using sacrificial layer technology. This is considerably extended by the application of the LIGA technique.

Normally thin metallic layers are sputtered onto an insulating substrate (e.g. silicon wafer or ceramic) and patterned by conventional photolithography and wet etching. They are used as a metalized layer and a sacrificial layer. The movable parts of the microstructures are positioned on the surface of the sacrificial layer, whereas the fixed parts are placed on the metalized area of the substrate. After stripping the resist and the sacrificial layer, the movable parts on the sacrificial layer are finished and the fixed parts remain firmly on the metalized layer. This process is rather complicated.

A new technology to produce the movable parts is developed in our Lab. Firstly the normal LIGA process is used to make the sample with both metal and resist structures. The sacrificial layer pattern will be placed on the sample surface with UV lithography. A metal layer is sputtered on the sample and sacrificial layer surface as a metalized layer. By electroplating, the metalized layer will grow up to the milimeter thickness and be used as the fixed substrate. Finally removing the nonmetal substrate, resist and the sacrificial layer, the movable parts could be completed. As an example, a magnetic gripper structure is designed and fabricated by this method.