LIGA Design Rules:

• Every design presents its own set of technical issues and fabrication approaches.
  

• AXSUN's general rule for standard LIGA fabrication uses a minimum feature size of 15 um, and thickness minimum of 100 um.
  

• Electroplated metal choices consist of nickel, nickel/iron, nickel/cobalt, copper or gold.
  

• Design constraints beyond the minimum standard processing parameters are negotiable.  Collaboration early in your design phase is important to maximize the benefit of using LIGA processing.
  

• Competitive advantages for LIGA include the ability to provide the smallest feature sizes and the largest devices available of any of the MEMS Technologies.  These advantages are most apparent when high aspect ratios, high feature densities, and robust materials are required.  When comparing critical dimensions of a design, x-ray exposure used in LIGA provides higher fidelity than the other technologies including DRIE and thick UV.
  

• LIGA processing can be used to make freestanding metal parts, designs that remain on a substrate, and metal molds for making plastic (injection or hot embossing) and/or ceramic parts.  LIGA allows the designer greater flexibility than the other MEMS technologies.
  

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