4M Roadmapping Study in Multi-Material Micro Manufacture

This paper reports findings from a roadmapping study conducted by the FP6 Network of Excellence in Multi-Material Micro Manufacture (4M). The main aim of this study is to help inform European research and industry about current trends and application requirements in the development of Micro- and Nano-manufacturing Technologies (MNT) for the batch-manufacture of micro- components and devices. The results are based on a roadmapping workshop attended by 30 senior researchers and parallel questionnaires administered to 38 associated industrialists. Primary application areas addressed were micro-fluidics, micro-sensors & actuators, and micro-optics, while the technologies covered were surface modification and structuring processes, energy assisted and mechanical processes, and replication processes. Reported results include the main market sectors for these three application areas as perceived by the industrialists together with the main application requirements for developing/manufacturing micro products and the important current and future micro manufacturing technologies. Generic and specific conclusions are derived about the existing trends in developing micro technologies and their applications.

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