Deposition and fabrication of thin metal patterns on low roughness 3D micro-objects: supplier sought

#3D #coating #µ-injection #polymer #3Dprinting #rugosity #thin

We are developing a phygital material, a multipurpose technology based on the collaboration of autonomous micro-robots to generate interactive "phygital" forms.

These modular micro-robots consist of two quasi-spherical half-shells with a diameter of <4 mm and a thickness of 0.2-0.4 mm, currently fabricated by resin printing (2PP) or µ-injection. The outer surface of these half-shells must be smooth (roughness of about 50 nm) to ensure the proper functioning of the microrobots.

These microrobots use electrostatic forces to attach to and move around metal surfaces or other microrobots. To achieve this, they require a double layer coating consisting of a 100-300 nm conductive material pattern with <100 µm minimum spacing, and a 200-400 nm dielectric layer (material options include but are not limited to SiO2, TiO2, and Al2O3).

We have previously explored resin 3D printing and PVD, but these techniques have shown limitations in terms of precision and surface finish, particularly when it comes to functional rounding.

We are looking for experts and technologies in polymer processing or µ-injection or additive manufacturing and metal deposition on 3D substrates to assess the feasibility of their solution.