• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.23-28
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• 2005

Microlens arrays were fabricated using a modified LIGA process based on the exposure of a PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate) sheet to deep x-rays and subsequent thermal treatment. A successful modeling and analyses for microlens formation were presented according to the experimental procedure. A nickel mold insert was fabricated by the nickel electroforming process on the PMMA microlens arrays fabricated by the modified LIGA process. For the replication of microlens arrays having various diameters with different foci on the same substrate, the hot embossing and the microinjection molding processes have been successfully utilized with the fabricated mold insert. Fabricated microlenses showed good surface roughness than the mold insert. The focal lengths of the injection molded microlenses were successfully measured experimentally and also estimated theoretically.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 1994

The possibility of using bulk talc as molding material was reviewed and tested with the measurement of thermal properties and computer simulations. The measured thermal conductivity and heat diffusivity($k{\rho}c$) of talc were $2.4W/m^{\circ}C$ and $6.6{\times}10^6J^2/m^4^{\circ}C^2s$, respectively. Thermal properties of talc could be ranked between those of sand mold and iron mold. Talc transforms into cristobalite and enstatite at $910^{\circ}C$, During the transformation volume and structure change, cracks appear on the surface and distortion occurs. Therefore talc can be used for molding material below $910^{\circ}C$ if carefully treated. Computer simulation was carried out to test whether talc insert could promote directional solidification in sand mold and iron mold. In sand mold, it was possible to achieve directional solidification of thin plate casting with the length to thickness ratio of 15, if both iron insert and talc insert were used. In iron mold, it was possible to achieve directional solidification only with talc insert.

• Design & Manufacturing
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.29-34
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• 2017

Increased demand for parts with micro-pattern structure made of metals, ceramics, and composites in various fields such as medical ultrasonic sensors, CT collimators, and ultra-small actuator parts. Micro powder injection molding (PIM) is a technology for manufacturing micro size, high volume, complex, precision, net-shape components from either metal or ceramic powder. In the present study, a standard mold with a variable insert core capable of producing various micro patterns was investigated. An injection molding test was performed on a standard mold using a line type micro-pattern core having an aspect ratio of 2, a slenderness ratio of 70, a pattern size of $200{\mu}m$, and a pattern spacing of $150{\mu}m$. During the filling process, the deformation of the mold with large aspect ratio and slenderness ratio was analyzed by the experiment and the numerical simulation according to the position of the gate. We proposed a mold structure that minimizes mold deformation by gate modification and enables uniform pattern filling behavior.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.13-20
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• 2004

Manufacturing process for the microfluidic device can include such sequential steps as master fabrication, electroforming, and injection molding. The laser ablation using masks has been applied to the fabrication of channels in microfluidic devices. In this study, manufacturing of polymer master and mold insert for micro injection molding was investigated. Ablation of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) by the excimer laser radiation could be used successfully to make three dimensional master fur nickel mold insert. The mechanism fur ablative decomposition of PET with KrF excimer laser $({\lambda}: 248 nm, pulse duration: 5 ns)$ was explained by photochemical process, while ablation mechanism of PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) is dominated by photothermal process, the .eaction between PC (polycarbonate) and KrF excimer laser beam generate too much su.face debris. Thus, PET was adopted in polymer master for nickel mold insert. Nickel electroforming using laser ablated PET master was preferable for replication method. Finally, it was shown that excimer laser ablation can substitute for X-ray lithography of LIGA process in microstructuring.

• Design & Manufacturing
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• v.2 no.5
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• pp.5-10
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• 2008

Recently, ultra precision and light-weight micro products are needed in various industries. Injection molding products with metal insert material is often satisfied with light-weight and precision simultaneously. The researches on macro-size insert deformation have been performed but, a research on micro-size insert is meager. In this paper, the injection molding product with $300{\mu}m$ thin foil insert is designed and insert injection molding process is performed. Finally, the deformation of thin foil insert is analyzed according to insert feature and gate length.

• Design & Manufacturing
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.29-32
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• 2008

A back light unit (BLU) is a key module of a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), frequently utilized in various mobile displays. In this study, we experimentally characterize transcription and optical properties of concave and convex microlens arrays (MLAs) of light guide plate (LGP) fabricated by injection molding with polycarbonate as a LGP substrate material. Nickel mold inserts were manufactured by electroforming on the MLA which was fabricated by the thermal reflow of photoresist microstructures patterned by UV-photolithography. For the case of convex microlens, the height of replicated microlens was less than that of the mold insert while maintaining almost the same microlens diameter of the mold insert as the location of the microlens is far from the gate. In contrast, for the concave microlens, the diameter of replicated microlens was larger than that of mold insert, while showing almost the same microlens height as the mold insert. From the optical examination of replicated convex and concave MLAs, it was found that a higher luminance of the LGP was achieved by the concave MLAs compared to the convex MLAs (about 30% enhancement in this case)due to the utilization of a larger amount of light provided by the light sources.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2011.06a
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• pp.893-894
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• 2011

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.94-97
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• 2002

Micromolding methods are most suitable for mass production of plastic microlens and lens array with low cost. Among the procedures related with micromolding of microlens array, fabrication of mold insect which contains micro cavity of lens shape is the most important stage. In this study, nickel mold inserts for 45 $\mu\textrm{m}$ and 95 $\mu\textrm{m}$ diameters lens way were fabricated using electroforming process. The mother for metal mold inset was made using reflow method. A micro compression molding with polymer powders was used to test the qualities of the metal mold insets. Micro lens profile and surface roughness was measured by interferometric technique and AFM, respectively. The final molded lens replicated the mother well, and had good surface quality.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.15 no.1 s.82
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• pp.34-41
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• 2006

Microlens arrays were fabricated by a modified LIGA process composed of the exposure of a PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate) sheet to deep x-rays and subsequent thermal treatment. A successful modeling and analyses for microlens formation were presented according to the experimental procedure. A nickel mold insert was fabricated by the nickel electroforming process on the PMMA microlens arrays fabricated by the modified LIGA process. For the replication of microlens arrays having various diameters with different foci on the same substrate, both hot embossing and microinjection molding processes have been successfully utilized with the fabricated mold insert. Replicated microlenses showed very good surface roughness with the order of 1 nm. The focal lengths of the injection molded microlenses were successfully estimated theoretically and also measured experimentally.

• Laser Solutions
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.35-41
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• 2003

In this study, manufacturing of polymer master and mold insert for micro injection molding was investigated. Ablation by excimer laser radiation could be used successfully to make 3-D microstructure of PET. The mechanism for ablative decomposition of PET with KrF excimer laser(λ: 248nm, pulse duration: 5ns) was explained by photochemical process. And this process showed PET to be adopted in polymer master for nickel mold insert. Nickel electroforming by using laser ablated PET master was preferable for replication method. Finally, it was shown that excimer laser ablation can substitute for X-ray lithography of LIGA process in microstructuring.