Scaling up the fabrication of wafer-scale Ni-MoS2/WS2 nanocomposite moulds using novel intermittent ultrasonic-assisted dual-bath micro-electroforming

In the scale-up fabrication process for electroformed Ni-MoS2/WS2 composite moulds, the formulation of nanosheets is critical, since the size, charge, and their distribution can largely affect the hardness, surface morphology and tribological properties of the moulds. Additionally, the long-term dispersion of hydrophobic MoS2/WS2 nanosheets in a nickel sulphamate solution is problematic. In this work, we studied the effect of ultrasonic power, processing time, surfactant types and concentrations on the properties of nanosheets to elaborate their dispersion mechanism and control their size and surface charge in divalent nickel electrolyte. The formulation of MoS2/WS2 nanosheets was optimized for effective electrodeposition along with nickel ions. A novel strategy of intermittent ultrasonication in the dual bath was proposed to resolve the problem of long-term dispersion, overheating, and deterioration of 2D material deposition under direct ultrasonication. Such strategy was then validated by electroforming 4-inch wafer-scale Ni-MoS2/WS2 nanocomposite moulds. The results indicated that the 2D materials were successfully co-deposited into composite moulds without any defects, along with the mould microhardness increasing by ∼2.8 times, the coefficient of friction reducing by two times against polymer materials, and the tool life increasing up to 8 times. This novel strategy will contribute to the industrial manufacturing of 2D material nanocomposites under ultrasonication process

Manufacturing microstructured tool inserts for the production of polymeric microfluidic devices

Tooling is critical in defining multi-scale patterns for mass production of polymeric microfluidic devices using the microinjection molding process. In the present work, fabrication of various microstructured tool inserts using stainless steel, nickel and bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) is discussed based on die-sinking EDM (electrical discharge machining), electroforming, focused ion beam milling and thermoplastic forming processes. Tool performance is evaluated in terms of surface roughness, hardness and tool life. Compared to stainless steel, nickel and BMGs are capable of integrating length scales from 100 to 10−8 m and are good candidates for producing polymeric microfluidics. Selection of tool materials and manufacturing technologies should consider the end-user requirements of actual applications.Enterprise IrelandEuropean Commission - European Regional Development Fun