Materials of LIGA technology

The progress in microfabrication technologies is currently characterized by an increasing number of microproducts and corresponding efforts for cost e ffective mass fabrication. In this context, the development and utilization of new application specific materials has become one of the key challenges for the commercial production of miniaturized functional units. This appli es, in particular, to the LIGA technique, a sequence of process steps combi ning deep lithography, microelectroforming and micromoulding, which offers an extremely broad spectrum of materials for the generation of ultraprecise three-dimensional microstructures. A wide variety of polymers, metals, met al alloys and ceramic materials are by now accessible for fabricating micro devices. There are practically no major limitations in selecting the desire d material properties, e.g. in respect of mechanical stiffness or biocompat ibility, optical transparency or magnetic properties, resistance against co rrosion or whatever is required by the specific function of a microdevice.