In Situ Laser-Assisted Micro-imprinting Process for Microscale Tapered Hole Forming

Microscale tapered hole parts are widely used in various disciplines such as microfluidics, biotechnology, and microelectronics. This paper proposes an in situ laser-assisted micro imprinting (In-LAI) process for machining micro-tapered holes with 10 μm outlet apertures on 300 μm thick Cu-ETP sheets. The laser heats the main deformation area of the workpiece in real time through the diamond indenter, which has the advantages of rapid response and the small heat-affected zone. Hertzian contact theory was used to solve the downward pressure range of the diamond indenter. The optimal machining process parameters targeting the minimum hole diameter at the outlet end are obtained by orthogonal tests. The experimental results show that the technology can controllably process micro conical holes with an outlet diameter of about 5–10 μm. In-LAI technology has provided a new method for manufacturing micro-tapered holes. This technology is also an extension of the in situ laser-assisted processing technology approach.