Microlamination involves the patterning, registration, and bonding of thin layers of material, called laminae, to produce highly paralleled, spatially intensified microchannel systems for the bulk processing of mass and energy. A Thermally Enhanced Edge Registration (TEER) technique has been developed for precision aligning large numbers of laminae in diffusion-bonding processes based on the differential thermal expansion between the laminae and bonding fixture. However, fixture tolerances necessary to promote buckle-free TEER bonding have been found to be very small (below 10 μm). This research focuses on the development of a new approach to thermal registration based on fixture compliance to permit looser fixture tolerances. An analysis based on both fin-buckling behavior and the compliance of the fixture is implemented to investigate the tolerance limit of a compliant TEER fixture. Experiments are conducted to verify the theoretical model. Results show that a compliant fixture can permit an acceptable tolerance limit in TEER.

Issue Section:
Technical Briefs
Keywords:
fixtures, laminates, thermal management (packaging), buckling, nondestructive testing, thermal analysis, micromachining
Topics:
Bonding, Buckling, Microchannels, Temperature, Deflection
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Copyright © 2004
 by ASME
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