A simple and low-cost method to the development of a micro-featured mold insert for micro-hot embossing

Micro-hot embossing is a cost-effective approach for polymer-based microfabrication. Micro devices must be more quickly and cheaply developed, manufactured and introduced to the market because of the pressure of global competition. Two major troublesome issues in the mold industry are the time and expense needed for producing a mold insert for pilot run in the new product development phase. This study demonstrates a technique for fabricating a mold insert with microfeatures using rapid tooling technology. Bridge tooling is the key technology for making a precise micro-featured mold insert with high successful rate. The main advantages of this technique include simple operation and low cost compared to mold insert made by conventional methods. The replication rate in the micro-featured mold manufacturing process is about 95.37% using the optimal manufacturing processes. The transcriptipn rate in the micro-hot embossing process is about 99.15% using the optimal processing conditions.