Micromachining

Since micromachining implies removal of material, a substrate is required. The substrate must be well defined, since even small defects can disturb the microstructures. Si makes an excellent substrate in the form of the commercially available wafers. Being a single-crystal material, the structure and surface is well defined, and the price for each wafer is acceptable. The thickness of a wafer is usually in the order of from 300 to 1000 µm but other thicknesses are available on request.

Other substrates such as glass, ceramics, polymer composites (e.g. printed circuit boards) and
various metals (Al, Cu, Brass, stainless steel, etc.) can also be used for several applications.