U.S. patent application number 10/506015 was filed with the patent office on 2005-05-19 for method of producing micro component.
Invention is credited to Arai, Kazuhisa, Ishikawa, Kazunori.
Application Number | 20050103635 10/506015 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29706576 |
Filed Date | 2005-05-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050103635 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Arai, Kazuhisa ; et
al. |
May 19, 2005 |
Method of producing micro component
Abstract
To produce a micro component, a resin base (1) capable of being
dissolved by a solvent is formed, physical external force is
allowed to act on the resin base (1) to form a concave (3) and
after a metal is filled into the concave (3), an excessive metal is
removed by grinding and the resin base (1) is dissolved by the
solvent. Consequently, the necessity for lithography apparatuses
such as a stepper and an etching apparatus can be eliminated,
economy can be improved and production of components having
complicated shapes that the lithographic technology cannot easily
produce can also be produced.
Inventors: |
Arai, Kazuhisa; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Ishikawa, Kazunori; (Tokyo, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WENDEROTH, LIND & PONACK, L.L.P.
2033 K STREET N. W.
SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20006-1021
US
|
Family ID: |
29706576 |
Appl. No.: |
10/506015 |
Filed: |
August 30, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
May 23, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP03/06475 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
205/74 ; 205/112;
205/118 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B81C 99/0085 20130101;
B81B 2201/035 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
205/074 ;
205/112; 205/118 |
International
Class: |
C25D 005/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 3, 2002 |
JP |
2002-161389 |
Claims
1. A production method of a micro component comprising the steps
of: a resin base forming step of forming a resin base capable of
being dissolved by use of a solvent; a concave forming step of
allowing physical external force to act on said resin base and
forming a concave having a shape corresponding to a shape of a
micro component to be produced; a metal filling step of filling a
metal into said concave; a metal removing step of grinding and
removing an excessive metal; and a base dissolving step of
dissolving said resin base by use of a solvent.
2. A production method of a micro component according to claim 1,
wherein said physical external force includes any of a laser beam,
an ultrasonic wave, a cutting blade and a grinding wheel.
3. A production method of a micro component according to claim 1,
wherein said metal filling step scatters a metal in said concave by
sputtering and then fills said concave by electroplating.
4. A production method of a micro component according to claim 1,
wherein said micro component is a component constituting a micro
machine or a molding flask used for producing said component.
5. A production method of a micro component according to claim 1,
wherein said metal is nickel, said resin is an ABS resin and said
solvent is acetone.
6. A production method of a micro component according to claim 2,
wherein said metal is nickel, said resin is an ABS resin and said
solvent is acetone.
7. A production method of a micro component according to claim 3,
wherein said metal is nickel, said resin is an ABS resin and said
solvent is acetone.
8. A production method of a micro component according to claim 4,
wherein said metal is nickel, said resin is an ABS resin and said
solvent is acetone.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention relates to a production method of micro
components to constitute a micro machine.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Micro components constituting a micro-machine are generally
produced by an LIGA (Lithographie Galvanoformung Abformung) process
that utilizes a semiconductor production technology.
[0003] The LIGA process is a technology comprising the combination
of X-ray lithography, electroplating and molding. Those products
that are produced is by a method based on an ordinary semiconductor
production process have their height limited to several to dozens
of microns (.mu.m) whereas the LIGA process can produce
three-dimensional products that have height of hundreds of microns
(elm) and an aspect ratio of dozens or more.
[0004] In the LIGA process, a resist 21 is first applied to an
entire surface of a flat substrate 20 as shown in FIG. 7. X-rays
are then irradiated from above a mask 22 and are projected to the
resist 21 through a lens 23 to sensitize the resist 21. Then, a
mask pattern formed on the mask 22 is transferred.
[0005] Next, when the resist 21 so sensitized is developed,
denatured portions due to sensitization are removed. Nickel, for
example, is filled by plating into the portions thus removed and
the remaining resist 21 and substrate 20 are etched away, providing
a component having the transferred shape by nickel is formed. When
a mold is formed by the same method, micro components can be
produced by using the mold.
[0006] According to the LIGA process, however, masks corresponding
to the shapes of micro components to be produced must be
individually prepared and a variety of lithography apparatuses such
as a stepper, an etching apparatus, and so forth are necessary.
Therefore, the installation cost becomes high and economically
inefficient. In addition, because the side surfaces of the masking
pattern transferred by X-ray lithography are constituted by
vertical surfaces, there is also a problem that processing into
complicated shapes is difficult.
[0007] As described above, the production of micro components
involves the problems in that economy must be improved and
components having complicated shapes can be formed.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
[0008] The invention provides a production method of a micro
component comprising a resin base forming step of forming a resin
base capable of being dissolved by use of a solvent; a concave
forming step of allowing physical external force to act on the
resin base and forming a concave having a shape corresponding to a
shape of a micro component to be produced; a metal filling step of
filling a metal into the concave; a metal removing step of grinding
and removing an excessive metal; and a base dissolving step of
dissolving the resin base by use of a solvent.
[0009] The production method of a micro component described above
includes the additional requirements in that the physical external
force includes any of a laser beam, an ultrasonic wave, a cutting
blade and a grinding wheel; the metal filling step scatters the
metal in the concave by sputtering and fills the concave by
electroplating; the micro component is a component constituting a
micro machine or a molding flask used for producing the component;
and the metal is nickel, the resin is an ABS resin and the solvent
is acetone.
[0010] According to the production method of a micro component
constituted as described above, the concave having the shape of a
micro component to be produced is formed in the base by the
physical external force and after the metal is filled into the
concave, the base is removed. Therefore, production of masks and
transfer of mask patterns by lithographic technology that have been
necessary in the past become unnecessary.
[0011] When a laser beam is used as the physical external force, a
micro component having a shape in which the side surfaces are not
vertical surfaces can be easily produced.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a base formed by a base
forming step.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where a concave
is formed in the base by a concave forming step.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state where a metal
is filled into the concave by a metal filling step.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where an
excessive metal is removed by a metal removing step.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a micro component
formed by a base dissolving step.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a mode of forming a
concave the side surfaces of which are tapered surfaces.
[0018] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a lithographic
technology according to a conventional method. BEST MODE FOR
CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
A case where a gear to be used as a micro component is produced
will be explained as a mode for carrying out the invention by way
of example.
[0019] To begin with, a resin base 1 having a thickness greater
than that of the gear to be formed from a resin is molded (resin
base molding step) as shown in FIG. 1. The resin used for molding
the resin base 1 must be those which can be later dissolved through
a chemical reaction by use of a solvent, and an ABS resin can be
used, for example.
[0020] Unlike a conventional method that applies a resist and
conducts development by X-ray lithography, the invention applies
physical external force such as irradiation of a laser beam 2 to
the resin base 1 without applying a resist and forms a concave 3 as
a cavity having the same shape as that of the gear to be produced
as shown in FIG. 2 (concave forming step). Besides the laser beam,
ultrasonic waves, cutting blades, etc, can be used as the physical
external force. A grinding wheel can also be used depending on the
shape of the micro component to be produced.
[0021] When the laser beam 2 is used as in the example shown in
FIG. 2, the laser beam is irradiated while an irradiation portion 4
or the resin base 1 is being moved in match with the shape of the
gear to be produced, and the concave 3 having the gear shape can be
formed.
[0022] After the concave 3 having a desired shape is formed in the
manner described above, a metal 5 as a material of the micro
component is filled into the concave 3 as shown in FIG. 3 (metal
filling step). Filling of the metal can be performed by a method
that scatters the metal by sputtering, for example, and thereafter
applies electroplating. Nickel, copper, etc, are used as the
metal.
[0023] After the metal is filled into the concave 3, an excessive
metal is deposited onto the resin base 1 and is therefore removed
by grinding (metal removing step). Grinding can be carried out by
use of a grinding wheel or a CMP technology. After the excessive
metal is removed by grinding, the concave 3 is filled, and the
metal 6 having the shape of the concave 3 is exposed as shown in
FIG. 4. The exposed surface of the metal 6 is planarized.
[0024] Finally, the resin constituting the resin base 1 is
dissolved by using a solvent and the gear 7 as the micro component
shown in FIG. 5 is formed (base dissolving step). Here, acetone is
used as the solvent when the resin base 1 is formed of an ABS
resin.
[0025] When the micro component is formed in this way, expensive
lithography apparatuses such as a stepper are not necessary and
masks need not be produced for respective components of different
shapes, either. Therefore, the production cost can be drastically
reduced.
[0026] The example shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 explains the case of the
production of the gear the side surfaces of which are vertical
surfaces. However, components having complicated shapes can be
produced, too, such as in the case where the side surfaces are not
the vertical surfaces but are inclined, by adjusting the
irradiation angle of the laser beam.
[0027] In the case of a micro component the side surfaces of which
are tapered as shown in FIG. 6, for example, the laser beam 8 is
obliquely irradiated and a concave 10 having taper surfaces 9 can
be formed. When the metal is filled into this concave 10, a micro
component having the side surfaces corresponding to the taper
surface 9 can be formed. In this way, the micro component having
the shape that the conventional method using the lithography
technology cannot produce can be produced.
[0028] The invention can produce not only the micro component
itself constituting the micro machine but also a molding flask such
as a mold for molding the micro component.
[0029] Industrial Applicability
[0030] As explained above, the production method of the micro
component according to the invention forms the concave having the
shape of the micro component to be produced in the base by using
the physical external force, fills the metal into the concave and
then removes the base. Therefore, the invention eliminates the
necessity for the production of masks and the transfer of the mask
pattern by the lithographic technology that have been necessary in
the past. In other words, the invention can drastically reduce the
installation cost and can reduce the production cost.
[0031] When the laser beam is used as the physical external force,
the micro components the side surfaces of which are not the
vertical surfaces can be easily produced. Therefore, those micro
components having complicated shapes the production of which has
been difficult in the past can be produced easily and
economically.
* * * * *