Analysis and characterization of demolding of hot embossed polymer microstructures

Micro-molding techniques including injection molding and hot embossing have great potential for manufacturing microfluidic ‘lab-on-a-chip’ devices for point-of-care diagnostics and many other applications; however, separating the part from the mold (demolding) can pose problems. This paper presents a study of demolding of hot embossed polymer microstructures, including theoretical analysis and finite element simulations, along with demolding experiments using a newly developed test method. Using this method, the energy dissipated during demolding (the demolding toughness) can be determined for individual microstructures. It has been found that both adhesion and sidewall friction play a role in demolding, with adhesion being degraded by thermal stress and friction being exacerbated as the part cools. A minimum value of demolding toughness occurs at the temperature where adhesion is fully degraded. This temperature depends on the initial adhesion strength, the part's material properties and the geometry of mold features. The minimum toughness temperature has been identified for several simple mold patterns for parts made of poly-methyl-methacrylate and polycarbonate. The minimum toughness temperature is higher for sparser patterns of features and lower for denser ones. Below this temperature, the demolding toughness is related to feature height but is not related to feature width.