Comparison of Tooling Materials in Injection Molding of Microscale Features

Author(s):  
Sung-Hwan Yoon ◽  
Prabhu Palanisamy ◽  
Purushotham Padmanabha ◽  
Joey L. Mead ◽  
Carol M. F. Barry

Although high aspect ratio micro and nanoscale polymer features have been replicated in a range of polymers using injection molding, researchers have also used tooling inserts with a range of sizes, aspect ratios, and tooling materials. In this work, microscale features with molded in polymethylmethacrylates using three types of tooling with similar features. The tooling materials included silicon wafers with an antistiction coating, gold-coated nickel inserts, and a metal-polymer hybrid tooling. Tooling was evaluated based on the ease of melt filling and part ejection; the replication quality as characterized using optical profilometry, confocal microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy; and the damage to the tooling after repeated use. With lower aspect ratio features, the tooling type did not significantly affect replication, but for higher aspect ratio features the hybrid tooling provided far better replication than the silicon tooling. This difference was attributed to retardation of heat transfer in the features of the hybrid tooling. All three tooling materials exhibited polymer-free surfaces after injection molding.

1990 ◽  
Vol 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.R. Monkowski ◽  
M.A. Logan ◽  
L.F. Wright

ABSTRACTIn the next generation of semiconductor devices, minimum dimensions will be smaller, aspect ratios (height to width) of devices features will be larger, and BPSG dielectrics will be challenged to deal with these changes. A new process, which integrates deposition, flow, and anneal of BPSG films, and allows void-free filling of high-aspect-ratio trenches with excellent surface planarization, is presented in this paper. Scanning electron micrographs are used to show the extent of film coverage and planarization. Additional characterization includes ion chromatography, ellipsometry, stress measurements, and breakdown field measurements.


Micromachines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Dempsey ◽  
Sean McDonald ◽  
Davide Masato ◽  
Carol Barry

The use of microfeature-enabled devices, such as microfluidic platforms and anti-fouling surfaces, has grown in both potential and application in recent years. Injection molding is an attractive method of manufacturing these devices due to its excellent process throughput and commodity-priced raw materials. Still, the manufacture of micro-structured tooling remains a slow and expensive endeavor. This work investigated the feasibility of utilizing additive manufacturing, specifically a Digital Light Processing (DLP)-based inverted stereolithography process, to produce thermoset polymer-based tooling for micro injection molding. Inserts were created with an array of 100-μm wide micro-features, having different heights and thus aspect ratios. These inserts were molded with high flow polypropylene to investigate print process resolution capabilities, channel replication abilities, and insert wear and longevity. Samples were characterized using contact profilometry as well as optical and scanning electron microscopies. Overall, the inserts exhibited a maximum lifetime of 78 molding cycles and failed by cracking of the entire insert. Damage was observed for the higher aspect ratio features but not the lower aspect ratio features. The effect of the tool material on mold temperature distribution was modeled to analyze the impact of processing and mold design.


2013 ◽  
Vol 716 ◽  
pp. 430-433
Author(s):  
Won Sik Lee ◽  
Jin Man Jang ◽  
Berm Ha Cha ◽  
Se Hyun Ko

In this work, micro rod arrays of 50 um and 200 um in diameter, respectively, were fabricated by 316L metal injection molding. Acryl sacrificial mold was used for the 50 um rod array. Aspect ratios were about 8 and 6 in 50 um and 200 um rod arrays, respectively and the bending of the rods occured due to high aspect ratio in debinding and sintering steps. Also, severe grain growth occurred at rod surface by sintering for 3 hrs at 1300°C and the average size was measured to be about 70 um.


Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1368
Author(s):  
Can Weng ◽  
Tao Ding ◽  
Mingyong Zhou ◽  
Jiezhen Liu ◽  
Hao Wang

Injection molding is an economical and effective method for manufacturing polymer parts with nanostructures and residual stress in the parts is an important factor affecting the quality of molding. In this paper, taking the injection molding of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer in a nano-cavity with an aspect ratio of 2.0 as an example, the formation mechanism of residual stresses in the injection molding process was studied, using a molecular dynamics simulation. The changes in dynamic stress in the process were compared and analyzed, and the morphological and structural evolution of molecular chains in the process of flow were observed and explained. The effects of different aspect ratios of nano-cavities on the stress distribution and deformation in the nanostructures were studied. The potential energy, radius of gyration and elastic recovery percentage of the polymer was calculated. The results showed that the essence of stress formation was that the molecular chains compressed and entangled under the flow pressure and the restriction of the cavity wall. In addition, the orientation of molecular chains changed from isotropic to anisotropic, resulting in the stress concentration. At the same time, with the increase in aspect ratio, the overall stress and deformation of the nanostructures after demolding also increased.


1998 ◽  
Vol 377 ◽  
pp. 137-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. BETELÚ ◽  
R. GRATTON ◽  
J. DIEZ

We experimentally study the formation of cusps at the free surfaces of viscous fluids in three simple cases that portray possible natural or industrial processes. Two cases concern levelling driven by gravity: the case (A) of a sinusoidal surface and the case (B) of a single groove. In the third case (C), an initially sinusoidal surface evolves under the action of a fast enough lateral compression that the effects of gravity are negligible. Case (A) shows a critical aspect ratio above which the cusps form. Case (B) allows a more detailed study of the evolution of the cuspidal structure, which does not change in shape but reduces its size according to a simple power law dependence in time. In case (C), cusps form even for small initial aspect ratios.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-515
Author(s):  
Rajib Kumar Biswas ◽  
Farabi Bin Ahmed ◽  
Md. Ehsanul Haque ◽  
Afra Anam Provasha ◽  
Zahid Hasan ◽  
...  

Steel fibers and their aspect ratios are important parameters that have significant influence on the mechanical properties of ultrahigh-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC). Steel fiber dosage also significantly contributes to the initial manufacturing cost of UHPFRC. This study presents a comprehensive literature review of the effects of steel fiber percentages and aspect ratios on the setting time, workability, and mechanical properties of UHPFRC. It was evident that (1) an increase in steel fiber dosage and aspect ratio negatively impacted workability, owing to the interlocking between fibers; (2) compressive strength was positively influenced by the steel fiber dosage and aspect ratio; and (3) a faster loading rate significantly improved the mechanical properties. There were also some shortcomings in the measurement method for setting time. Lastly, this research highlights current issues for future research. The findings of the study are useful for practicing engineers to understand the distinctive characteristics of UHPFRC.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 380
Author(s):  
Jun-Hyun Kim ◽  
Sanghyun You ◽  
Chang-Koo Kim

Si surfaces were texturized with periodically arrayed oblique nanopillars using slanted plasma etching, and their optical reflectance was measured. The weighted mean reflectance (Rw) of the nanopillar-arrayed Si substrate decreased monotonically with increasing angles of the nanopillars. This may have resulted from the increase in the aspect ratio of the trenches between the nanopillars at oblique angles due to the shadowing effect. When the aspect ratios of the trenches between the nanopillars at 0° (vertical) and 40° (oblique) were equal, the Rw of the Si substrates arrayed with nanopillars at 40° was lower than that at 0°. This study suggests that surface texturing of Si with oblique nanopillars reduces light reflection compared to using a conventional array of vertical nanopillars.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 607
Author(s):  
Carolina Hermida-Merino ◽  
Fernando Pardo ◽  
Gabriel Zarca ◽  
João M. M. Araújo ◽  
Ane Urtiaga ◽  
...  

In this work, polymeric membranes functionalized with ionic liquids (ILs) and exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets (xGnP) were developed and characterized. These membranes based on graphene ionanofluids (IoNFs) are promising materials for gas separation. The stability of the selected IoNFs in the polymer membranes was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The morphology of membranes was characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and interferometric optical profilometry (WLOP). SEM results evidence that upon the small addition of xGnP into the IL-dominated environment, the interaction between IL and xGnP facilitates the migration of xGnP to the surface, while suppressing the interaction between IL and Pebax®1657. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was also used to determine the polymer–IoNF interactions and the distribution of the IL in the polymer matrix. Finally, the thermodynamic properties and phase transitions (polymer–IoNF) of these functionalized membranes were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This analysis showed a gradual decrease in the melting point of the polyamide (PA6) blocks with a decrease in the corresponding melting enthalpy and a complete disappearance of the crystallinity of the polyether (PEO) phase with increasing IL content. This evidences the high compatibility and good mixing of the polymer and the IoNF.


Aerospace ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Dmitry V. Vedernikov ◽  
Alexander N. Shanygin ◽  
Yury S. Mirgorodsky ◽  
Mikhail D. Levchenkov

This publication presents the results of complex parametrical strength investigations of typical wings for regional aircrafts obtained by means of the new version of the four-level algorithm (FLA) with the modified module responsible for the analysis of aerodynamic loading. This version of FLA, as well as a base one, is focused on significant decreasing time and labor input of a complex strength analysis of airframes by using simultaneously different principles of decomposition. The base version includes four-level decomposition of airframe and decomposition of strength tasks. The new one realizes additional decomposition of alternative variants of load cases during the process of determination of critical load cases. Such an algorithm is very suitable for strength analysis and designing airframes of regional aircrafts having a wide range of aerodynamic concepts. Results of validation of the new version of FLA for a high-aspect-ratio wing obtained in this work confirmed high performance of the algorithm in decreasing time and labor input of strength analysis of airframes at the preliminary stages of designing. During parametrical design investigation, some interesting results for strut-braced wings having high aspect ratios were obtained.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prasanta Kumar Mohanta ◽  
B. T. N. Sridhar ◽  
R. K. Mishra

Abstract Experiments and simulations were carried on C-D nozzles with four different exit geometry aspect ratios to investigate the impact of supersonic decay characteristics. Rectangular and elliptical exit geometries were considered for the study with various aspect ratios. Numerical simulations and Schlieren image study were studied and found the agreeable logical physics of decay and spread characteristics. The supersonic core decay was found to be of different length for different exit geometry aspect ratio, though the throat to exit area ratio was kept constant to maintain the same exit Mach number. The impact of nozzle exit aspect ratio geometry was responsible to enhance the mixing of primary flow with ambient air, without requiring a secondary method to increase the mixing characteristics. The higher aspect ratio resulted in better mixing when compared to lower aspect ratio exit geometry, which led to reduction in supersonic core length. The behavior of core length reduction gives the identical signature for both under-expanded and over-expanded cases. The results revealed that higher aspect ratio of the exit geometry produced smaller supersonic core length. The aspect ratio of cross section in divergent section of the nozzle was maintained constant from throat to exit to reduce flow losses.


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