ABSTRACT
The vision of the 3D-MINTEGRATION (www.3D-MINTEGRATION.com) project, sponsored by the British funding Agency EPSRC, was to develop the technologies and strategic approaches, in all aspects of the manufacturing cycle (from design, processing, assembly, integration, test and metrology), required for the design and manufacture of tightly integrated 3D miniaturised products. Highlights from this project include:
• The creation of a software framework, 3D-MINTEVISION, that knits together conceptual design and its manufacturing embodiment to facilitate the manufacture of wholly new products using newly-created manufacturing technologies.
• A breakthrough product and process introduction methodology, embedded in 3D-MINTEVISION framework, which mitigates risk through comparing the similarities between new manufacturing techniques and a cohort of previously used techniques.
• The identification of a special application of “Similitude” to help designers visualise and debate microbehaviour at everyday macro- scale.
• The creation of 4 new processes, some of them patented, which include the use of microwave energy to cure interconnections, megasonic agitation for advanced electroplating of materials, electrostatic pressure to free-form polymer material in 3D, laser energy to create features at the nanoscale or write metal tracks onto 3D non conductive surfaces.
• The development of a novel phase shifting interferometric method for examining high aspect ratio microstructures and undercuts.
• The demonstration of the validity of the academic research through the production of three test prototypes: a flexible microprobe, a foldable multisensory system and a 2D, then 3D blood-plasma separator unit.
Keywords: Manufacturing, 3D integration, Microsystems.
