Production of microcomponents using thick-film photoresist

Manufacture of microcomponents using thick-film resist with 3D UV micro-forming is a process of growing importance in micro-engineering. Electroforming of structures up to 100 μm in thickness with a resolution of 15 μm can be carried out using high-viscosity Novolak/DNQ resists. To create structures with greater thicknesses of up to 500 μm and aspect ratios of 18:1 and other free-standing structures, chemically-reinforced negative resists can be used. Using the thick-film resists, products such as micro-planar coils made of gold over silicon or mirror arrays of nickel with gold coating formed on a copper substrate, could be produced.