Micro Mold Fabrication and the Micro Patterning by RTP Process

Micro Mold 제작 및 RTP 공정에 의한 미세 패턴의 성형

RTP(Rapid Thermal Pressing) is to fabricate desired pattern on polymer substrate by pressing patterned mold against the substrate heated around glass transition temperature. For a successful RTP process, the whole process including heating, molding, cooling and demolding should be conducted 'rapidly' as possible. As the RTP process is effective in replicating patterns on flat large surface without causing shape distortion after cooling, it is being widely used for fabricating various micro/bio application components, especially with channel-type microstructures on surface. This investigation finally aims to develop a RTP process machine for mass-producing micro/bio application components. As a first step for that purpose, we intended to examine the technological difficulties for realizing mass production by RTP process. Therefore, in the current paper, 4 kinds of RTP machines were examined and then the RTP process was conducted experimentally for PMMA film by using one of the machines, HEX 03. The micro-patterned molds used for RTP experiment was fabricated from silicon wafer by semi-conduct process. The replicated micro patterns on PMMA films were examined using SEM and the causes of defect observed in the replicated patterns were discussed.