315 Welding of metal foil for MEMS
Details
In this study, microelectron beam welding was applied to the joining of two thin metal foils. An electron beam is adaptable to microwelding due to its deep penetration and thin width. The foil materials used were SUS and Ti with a thickness of 20 μm. The relationship between the input energy of electron beam irradiation and the size of the welding spot was investigated. Furthermore, spot welding and overlap welding were carried out for foils of either the same or different materials. The surface and cross section of the welded zone were observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) or confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). In the case of the same material, it was possible to weld two overlapped Ti foils (marked as Ti/Ti) with thickness of 20 μm. In the case of different materials, it was possible to weld SUS304 was top and Ti was bottom (marked as SUS304/Ti) with thickness of 20 μm. The results show that microwelding can be considered a new technology for microelectrical mechanical systems (MEMS) in addition to microfabrication.
