Electroforming

The increasing demand for micro-products and components can be met only partly by the lithography-based micro-electromechanical systems fabrication processes that originated from the silicon-based microelectronics revolution of the late twentieth century. In particular, such processes have limitations when applied to new micro-devices which require the use of a variety of materials and complex 3D microstructures with high aspect ratios. In this context, the paper presents technologies complementary to lithography-based processes for the manufacture of devices or components incorporating micro- and nano-scale features. More specifically, special attention is given to the main findings obtained over the last 5 years from the authors’ research programme on a range of micro- and nano-manufacturing technologies, namely, micro-electrodischarge machining, laser ablation, micro-milling, focussed-ion beam machining, micro-injection moulding, nano-imprint lithography, hot embossing and electroforming.

We are developing the nickel electroforming process to fabricate high-quality mirrors for the region. Two applications for these optics are a balloon-borne payload, termed HERO, and a hard-X-ray telescope module for consideration for the Constellation-X mission. In the formation on shells, of 15 arcsec angular resolution, will provide over 200 sq cm of effective collecting area unprecedented sensitivity in the 20-75 keV region. A first flight of a partial payload, feature approximately 1/4 of the total collecting area, is scheduled for the Spring of 2004. In the Co-application, two mirror shells, of diameters 150 and 230 mm, are being fabricated. This is particularly challenging as high angular resolution must be maintained with shells of only 1 mm thickness (driven by the tight weight budget for the mission). Further, the shells must be low (less than 5 A on sub-micron spatial scales) to permit efficient use of planned multilayer coatings which must release cleanly from their formi...

[Proceedings of SPIE 6517, 65171T (2007)]. Ranju D. Venables, Michael Goldstein, Darell Engelhaupt, Sang H. Lee, Eric M. Panning. Abstract. ... Current state of the art collectors are based on a Wolter type-1 design and have been adapted from x-ray telescopes. ...

The increasing demand for micro-products and components can be met only partly by the lithography-based micro-electromechanical systems fabrication processes that originated from the silicon-based microelectronics revolution of the late twentieth century. In particular, such processes have limitations when applied to new micro-devices which require the use of a variety of materials and complex 3D microstructures with high aspect ratios. In this context, the paper presents technologies complementary to lithography-based processes for the manufacture of devices or components incorporating micro- and nano-scale features. More specifically, special attention is given to the main findings obtained over the last 5 years from the authors’ research programme on a range of micro- and nano-manufacturing technologies, namely, micro-electrodischarge machining, laser ablation, micro-milling, focussed-ion beam machining, micro-injection moulding, nano-imprint lithography, hot embossing and electr...