Laser assisted fabrication of porous polymer MEMS with nano structured additives

Abstract

Selective laser sintering (SLS) process was used to obtain nanostructured porous 3D objects consisting of Ni or/and Cu nanoclusters enveloped with a polycarbonate (PC) matrix for M/NEMS applications. The liquid phase SLS process was performed in air or Ar. The powder mixtures of Ni + PC in proportions 1:1, 1:2 (Ni particle size ranged from 27 to 184 nm) and Cu + PC = 1:9, 1:4, 3:7 (Cu particle size ranged from 76 to 90 nm) and a cw YAG:Nd⁺³ laser (P = 4–10 W) with defocused laser beam were used. Optimal regimes of laser treatment as monolayer as layerwise 3D part manufacturing in above mention nano compositions were determined. The scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) equipped EDX and qualitative XRD analysis showed that content and size of nanoparticles are remained unaffected after the liquid-phase sintering. It was shown a principle possibility of functional graded 3D parts fabrication via the interleaving of the metal - polymer powdered compositions with Ni and/or Cu additives, which ensures the nano particle sizes conservation. Proposed approach is opened a new way by deliberated M/NEMS device synthesis. Alternation of ferromagnetic and non-magnetic layers with Ni and/or Cu core – polymer shell structures was provided the interesting electro-physical properties of such devices.