Hot embossing is a technique to produce microstructures in thermoplastic polymers. During the process the substrate is heated slightly above the glass transition point. Then a structuring tool is pressed on the polymer. This tool is a stamp that has the microstructure that will be transferred on the substrate. After the polymer has cooled down, the tool is removed and the structure stays in the substrate. The quality of the structure strongly depends on the structuring tool. Hot embossing is a cheap method to create microstructures in polymers, where almost no tensions occur in the material.

Latest research activities of Fraunhofer IBMT have focussed on roll-to-roll hot embossing of microstructures. Compared to stamp hot embossing the rotative roll-to-roll process is suited for real mass production at the expanse of a lower replication quality.

Picture (above) of a micro channel fabricated by reel-to-reel hot embossing

Contact:

Fraunhofer IBMT

Fraunhofer-Institute for Biomedical Engineering
Head of Department Biomedical Microsystems
Dr. Thomas Velten
Ensheimer Strasse 48
66386 St. Ingbert
Germany

phone: +49 (0)6894 980-301
thomas.velten@ibmt.fraunhofer.de
IBMT homepage