Consumption-related development in microelectroforming

High-aspect ratio microelectroforming is one of the most challenging techni ques in MEMS microfabrication. This is particularly true with plating metal into the very tall micropatterned polymer molds made by X-ray lithography for primary or secondary metal structures or metal mold inserts within the framework of the LIGA process. Among various problems are: (1) the time con sumption in plating very tall parts or using microelectroplating as a repli cation technique; (2) the cost of material, in particular in the formation of very high-aspect-ratio absorber structures for X-ray masks in the deep a nd ultradeep X-ray lithography step.