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Abstract
The future world of micro and nano dimensions is leading to the generation of a whole new range of products, particularly engineered medical and healthcare diagnostics, industrial, optical telecommunications aerospace applications and textiles. Many current manufacturing processes are based on lithographic techniques that have traditionally driven silicon micro IC production but the new drive is for low cost, high precision products with greater functionality based on non-silicon materials such as polymers, ceramics, glass and metals.
Machining micro and nano structures in non-silicon materials requires new process technologies and these are being developed at new facilities at the Manufacturing Engineering Centre at Cardiff University. Known as MicroBridge, the facilities provide an open access micro and nano engineering and manufacturing service to UK industry. This provides a suite of equipment and facilities based on a focused ion beam milling machine, a picosecond laser ablation system and nano imprinting lithograph and which complement an already established range of micro machining equipment.