Machining and Molding of Microcantilever Sensors(M^4 processes and micro-manufacturing for science)

Abstract

A miniaturized six axis vertical machining center with linear positioning resolution of 4nm by 10nm by 10nm, accuracy on the order of 0.3μm, in the height, feed, and cross feed directions is presented. The ranges of axes travel are 4mm by 25mm by 25mm in the height, feed, and cross feed and 20 degrees in the rotational space. An injection mold was made of steel with this machine and plastic microcantilevers were fabricated from polystyrene were 464 to 755μm long, 130μm wide, and only 6-9μm thick.