Micro-sized Columnar Structures of Ni fabricated by using Negative-type Micromold made of Photocurable Resin

摘要

We have developed an original micro-plating system, in which an electroless plating solution of Ni was continuously flowed into negative type micromolds made of photocurable resin. The negative-type molds have hollow template structures. By using this method, micro-sized columnar structures stuffed with Ni metal were successfully fabricated in the micromolds. After subliming of exterior resin molds, metallic Ni solid microstructures with a shape almost equivalent to the hollow structure (diameter: 50μm, length: 100μm) were obtained. Time dependences of thickness of Ni plate were investigated, indicating that the plating efficiency was increased at the higher flowing rate of the Ni plating solution. The change of plating behavior was also observed in different sized micromolds as a size effect occurring in micrometer scale, in which a diffusion length of ions is comparable to a diameter size. We propose this micro-plating method as a new microstructuring technique made of a variety of metals.