US20040134786A1 - Mold for a V-groove fiber array base block and fabrication method thereof - Google Patents
Mold for a V-groove fiber array base block and fabrication method thereof Download PDFInfo
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- US20040134786A1 US20040134786A1 US10/703,536 US70353603A US2004134786A1 US 20040134786 A1 US20040134786 A1 US 20040134786A1 US 70353603 A US70353603 A US 70353603A US 2004134786 A1 US2004134786 A1 US 2004134786A1
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- electroforming
- alloy
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- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 98
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 27
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 title claims description 23
- 238000005323 electroforming Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 49
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 41
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 40
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 40
- 239000011159 matrix material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 20
- 229910021645 metal ion Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 11
- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nickel Chemical compound [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 78
- 229910052759 nickel Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 37
- 239000000243 solution Substances 0.000 claims description 26
- 239000002585 base Substances 0.000 claims description 23
- 229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 20
- 239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 claims description 20
- BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silver Chemical compound [Ag] BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 15
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical group [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 12
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 12
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 claims description 12
- 229910052709 silver Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 12
- 239000004332 silver Substances 0.000 claims description 12
- CDBYLPFSWZWCQE-UHFFFAOYSA-L Sodium Carbonate Chemical compound [Na+].[Na+].[O-]C([O-])=O CDBYLPFSWZWCQE-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 claims description 10
- PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N gold Chemical compound [Au] PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 9
- 229910052737 gold Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000010931 gold Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 229910001030 Iron–nickel alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 8
- 238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- VYZAMTAEIAYCRO-UHFFFAOYSA-N Chromium Chemical compound [Cr] VYZAMTAEIAYCRO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 6
- HEMHJVSKTPXQMS-UHFFFAOYSA-M Sodium hydroxide Chemical compound [OH-].[Na+] HEMHJVSKTPXQMS-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 claims description 6
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 6
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 6
- 229910052804 chromium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000011651 chromium Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 238000004544 sputter deposition Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 229910000531 Co alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910000914 Mn alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910002650 Ni-SiC Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910001080 W alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
- QXZUUHYBWMWJHK-UHFFFAOYSA-N [Co].[Ni] Chemical compound [Co].[Ni] QXZUUHYBWMWJHK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000001746 injection moulding Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- ZAUUZASCMSWKGX-UHFFFAOYSA-N manganese nickel Chemical compound [Mn].[Ni] ZAUUZASCMSWKGX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- MOWMLACGTDMJRV-UHFFFAOYSA-N nickel tungsten Chemical compound [Ni].[W] MOWMLACGTDMJRV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910000029 sodium carbonate Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
- GWEVSGVZZGPLCZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N titanium dioxide Inorganic materials O=[Ti]=O GWEVSGVZZGPLCZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000005530 etching Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- KMUONIBRACKNSN-UHFFFAOYSA-N potassium dichromate Chemical compound [K+].[K+].[O-][Cr](=O)(=O)O[Cr]([O-])(=O)=O KMUONIBRACKNSN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000003637 basic solution Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- VHUUQVKOLVNVRT-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ammonium hydroxide Chemical compound [NH4+].[OH-] VHUUQVKOLVNVRT-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000001704 evaporation Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000008020 evaporation Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- LGQLOGILCSXPEA-UHFFFAOYSA-L nickel sulfate Chemical compound [Ni+2].[O-]S([O-])(=O)=O LGQLOGILCSXPEA-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910000363 nickel(II) sulfate Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910044991 metal oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 claims 1
- 150000004706 metal oxides Chemical group 0.000 claims 1
- 238000002161 passivation Methods 0.000 description 24
- RTAQQCXQSZGOHL-UHFFFAOYSA-N Titanium Chemical compound [Ti] RTAQQCXQSZGOHL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 8
- 239000003153 chemical reaction reagent Substances 0.000 description 8
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 7
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 6
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 description 6
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 6
- 239000004094 surface-active agent Substances 0.000 description 6
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 5
- KGBXLFKZBHKPEV-UHFFFAOYSA-N boric acid Chemical compound OB(O)O KGBXLFKZBHKPEV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000005238 degreasing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000013307 optical fiber Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000000206 photolithography Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000035484 reaction time Effects 0.000 description 2
- RZVAJINKPMORJF-UHFFFAOYSA-N Acetaminophen Chemical compound CC(=O)NC1=CC=C(O)C=C1 RZVAJINKPMORJF-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910021578 Iron(III) chloride Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910021586 Nickel(II) chloride Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000002411 adverse Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003795 chemical substances by application Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- RBTARNINKXHZNM-UHFFFAOYSA-K iron trichloride Chemical compound Cl[Fe](Cl)Cl RBTARNINKXHZNM-UHFFFAOYSA-K 0.000 description 1
- 229910000360 iron(III) sulfate Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229920001296 polysiloxane Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000005297 pyrex Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004904 shortening Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910010271 silicon carbide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C25D1/00—Electroforming
- C25D1/20—Separation of the formed objects from the electrodes with no destruction of said electrodes
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C25D1/00—Electroforming
- C25D1/10—Moulds; Masks; Masterforms
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a method for fabricating a V-groove mold and, more particularly, to a method for fabricating a mold for further mass-producing V-groove fiber array base blocks.
- the fiber array modules are in great demand now.
- the fiber array modules are made by bonding optical fibers on base blocks having a plurality of grooves.
- improvements for mass-producing base blocks have become necessary.
- a base block used for fiber array generally is a glass substrate or a silicone substrate having V-grooves.
- these substrates for base blocks are made by forming grooves through cutting or carving by knives.
- this traditional method for making base blocks not only takes a long time but also results in damage on the substrate.
- the process for carving grooves is complex and is not suitable for mass production.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a V-groove mold, which can be used in fabricating a substrate of a fiber array base block by injection moldings or press moldings.
- the method for fabricating a mold for fiber array base blocks comprises the steps of: providing a matrix substrate having a plurality of V-grooves, and then forming a metal layer on said substrate; immersing said matrix substrate having said metal layer formed thereon with an electroforming metal ion solution and forming a father mold by an electroforming process; and separating said father mold from said matrix substrate.
- the metal of the metal layer is unlimited.
- the metal of the metal layer is selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, silver, gold, and alloys thereof. More preferably, the metal of the metal layer is copper, silver, or alloys thereof.
- the electroforming metal of the father mold of present invention is selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel-containing alloys, silver, copper, gold, chromium, and aluminum.
- the nickel-containing electroforming metal of the father mold is nickel-iron alloy, nickel-cobalt alloy, nickel-tungsten alloy, nickel-manganese alloy, Ni—SiC (nickel-siliconcarbide alloy), or Ni—Fe—TiO 2 alloy.
- the fabrication method may selectively further comprise fabricating a mother V-groove mold by the foregoing method.
- the method of the present invention optionally further comprises the steps of forming a passive layer on the father mold surface; forming a mother mold on said passive layer by an electroforming process in an electroforming metal ion solution; and separating said mother mold from said father mold.
- the present invention also relates to a V-groove mold having an electroforming layer to a thickness between about 0.3 mm to about 30 mm.
- the electroforming metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel-contained alloys, silver, copper, gold, chromium, and aluminum.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a process flow of one embodiment for fabricating a V-groove mold of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing showing a process flow of another embodiment for fabricating a V-groove mold of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing a process flow of another embodiment for fabricating a V-groove mold of the present invention.
- the present invention provides a mold for fabricating a V-groove fiber array base block and a mold fabrication method suitable for mass production.
- the mold has an electroforming layer in a V-groove shape.
- the material of metal layer is unlimited.
- the metal of the metal layer is selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, silver, gold, and alloys thereof. More preferably, the metal of the metal layer is copper, silver, or alloys thereof formed by evaporation or sputtering.
- the metal layer is in order to make the matrix substrate more conductive for conducting further electroforming.
- the electroforming metal of the mold of present invention is selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel-contained alloys, silver, copper, gold, chromium, and aluminum.
- the nickel-containing electroforming metal of the mold is nickel-iron alloy, nickel-cobalt alloy, nickel-tungsten alloy, nickel-manganese alloy, Ni—SiC, or Ni—Fe—TiO 2 alloy.
- the thickness of the electroforming layer is not limited. Preferably, the thickness of the electroforming layer ranges from 0.3 mm to about 30 mm.
- the mold fabrication method comprises the steps of:
- the fabrication method may optionally further comprise the following steps in order to improve throughput, if necessary.
- step (D) facilitates the release of the electroforming layer (the mother mold) from the V-groove father mold and further prevents the electroforming layer from combining with the V-groove father mold when proceeding in step (E).
- step (F) lots of mother molds can be produced.
- the construction of the mother mold may not be equal to that of the father mold.
- the fiber array base blocks can not be produced directly by the mother mold so a son mold, constructed equal to the father mold for mass-producing fiber array base blocks, is produced from the mother mold by passivation and electroforming processes.
- the son molds can be achieved through the following steps.
- the son mold can be taken as a father mold for producing more mother molds from step (D) to step (F).
- a V-groove fiber array base block can be produced by either the son or father molds.
- the thickness of the metal layer preferably silver or copper, may be between about 40 nm to about 200 nm. More preferably, the thickness of metal layer is between about 40 nm to about 80 nm.
- the electroforming metal ion solution is a nickel-containing solution. More preferably, the nickel-containing electroforming solution used to conduct the electroforming process in steps (B), (E) and (H) is Ni(NH 2 SO 3 ) 4H 2 O or NiSO 4 .
- the passivation process at steps (D) and (G) is exposing to plasma or immersing the mold surface with a passivation reagent.
- the passivation reagent is unlimited.
- the passivation reagent comprises a K 2 Cr 2 O 7 solution or a basic solution, such as Na 2 CO 3 or NaOH, to form a passive layer by a chemical method.
- the passivation reagent may further include surfactant.
- the chemical method for forming a passive layer can be replaced by a plasma process to form an oxide layer on the surface of the mold.
- the thickness of the oxide layer is unlimited, but can not result in an adverse effect on the performance of the further electroforming process in steps (E) or (H).
- the thickness of the oxide layer is particularly thin so that all the electroforming performances in steps (B), (E) and (H) are similar.
- the method of separating the electroformed mother mold from the father mold in step (F) is unlimited.
- the method of separating the electroformed son mold from the mother mold in step (I) is also unlimited.
- the method in step (F) and (I) can be achieved by hand.
- the application of the molds produced by the method of the present invention is not limited.
- the V-groove mold of the present invention is applied for fabricating a fiber array base block by injection moldings or press moldings, especially for a glass or plastic substrate.
- a process indicating the sequence for fabricating a V-groove mold of the present invention is shown.
- a silicon substrate 100 is used as a matrix substrate in the present embodiment.
- a silver metal layer 110 is formed on the substrate 100 by sputtering. The sputtering is achieved in a Denton Vacuum Desk II equipment under a pressure of 75 mtorr and at an electric current of 45 mA. Then a silver metal layer 110 of a thickness between about 40 nm to 80 nm is obtained.
- the substrate 100 having the silver metal layer 110 proceeds in an electroforming process.
- a current density ranging from 2 ASD to 3 ASD is applied for 27 to 40 hours, and then the current is increased to a range between about 12 ASD to about 14 ASD for 8 days.
- a nickel-containing electroformed layer 120 of a thickness of 30 mm is obtained.
- the nickel-containing electroformed layer is then separated from the matrix substrate and taken as a V-groove father mold.
- the etching solution includes NH 4 OH and H 2 O 2 .
- the V-groove profile on the surface of the father mold will be improved after the etching process.
- a mother mold is obtained from the V-groove father mold (i.e. nickel-containing electroformed layer) 120 fabricated in example 1.
- a passive surface 125 is subsequently formed on the V-groove father mold 120 by a passivation process.
- the passivation process is performed by immersing the V-groove father mold 120 in a solution having a passivation reagent such as a solution of Na 2 CO 3 and a surfactant.
- An oxide layer (i.e. a passive surface) 125 is formed on the surface of the V-groove father mold 120 by a chemical method.
- the cathode of the power supply is connected to the V-groove father mold 120 and the anode is connected to a titanium mesh.
- a degreasing process is executed for 30 seconds at the current equal to 2 ASD.
- the passivation process is achieved after being conducted for 30 seconds at the current equal to 2 ASD.
- a nickel-containing electroformed layer i.e. a mother mold 140 is formed on the passive surface 125 .
- the passive layer is then separated or released from the V-groove father mold.
- a sequence of the manufacturing process for mass-producing the father molds of the present invention is shown.
- a son mold 150 is obtained from the V-groove mother mold 140 .
- a passive surface 145 is subsequently formed on the V-groove mother mold 140 by a passivation process.
- the passivation process is performed by immersing the V-groove mother mold 140 in a solution having a passivation reagent such as a solution of Na 2 CO 3 and a surfactant.
- An oxide layer (i.e. a passive surface) 145 is formed on the surface of the V-groove mother mold 140 by a chemical method.
- the operating conditions for the passivation process are same as those shown in Table 2.
- a nickel-containing electroformed layer i.e. a son mold
- the passive layer is then separated or released from the V-groove mother mold 140 .
- the son mold 150 can be taken as another nickel-containing father mold for further application of mass-production. According to this method, every nickel-containing metal mold can be treated as a mold to duplicate another mold.
- a process indicating the sequence for fabricating a V-groove mold of the present invention is shown.
- a Pyrex Substrate (i.e. a glass substrate) 100 is used as a matrix substrate in the present embodiment.
- a nickel metal layer 110 is formed on the substrate 100 by sputtering. The sputtering is achieved in a Denton Vacuum Desk II equipment under a pressure of 75 mtorr and at an electric current of 45 mA. Then a nickel metal layer 110 of a thickness between about 0.04 ⁇ m to 0.08 ⁇ m is obtained.
- the substrate 100 having the nickel metal layer 110 proceeds in an electroforming process.
- a current density ranges from 2 ASD to 3 ASD is applied for 27 to 40 hours, and then the current is increased to a range between about 12 ASD to about 14 ASD for 8 days.
- a nickel-containing (a nickel-iron alloy) electroformed layer 120 of a thickness of 30 mm is obtained.
- the nickel-containing electroformed layer is then separated from the matrix substrate and taken as a V-groove father mold.
- a mother mold is obtained from the V-groove father mold (i.e. nickel-containing electroformed layer) 120 fabricated in example 3.
- a passive surface 125 is subsequently formed on the V-groove father mold 120 by a passivation process.
- the passivation process is performed by immersing the V-groove father mold 120 in a solution having a passivation reagent such as a solution of K 2 Cr 2 O 7 and a surfactant.
- An oxide layer (i.e. a passive surface) 125 is formed on the surface of the V-groove father mold 120 by a chemical method.
- the cathode of the power supply is connected to the V-groove father mold 120 and the anode is connected to a titanium mesh.
- a degreasing process is executed for 30 seconds at the current equal to 2 ASD.
- the passivation process is achieved after being conducted for 30 seconds at the current equal to 2 ASD.
- a nickel-containing (a nickel-iron alloy) electroformed layer i.e. a mother mold 140 is formed on the passive surface 125 .
- the passive layer is then separated or released from the V-groove father mold.
- the nickel-containing electroformed layer (i.e. a mother mold) 140 can be taken as another nickel-containing mold for further application of mass-production by repeating the passivation process and electroforming process described above. According to this method, every nickel-containing metal mold can be treated as a mold to duplicate another mold.
- the present invention provides a V-groove mold, which is used in fabricating a glass substrate or a silicon substrate of a fiber array base block through injection moldings or press moldings. Meanwhile, the present invention also provides a novel method for duplicating this V-groove mold rapidly by passivation process. In other words, the fabrication method facilitates the mass production of the glass substrates and silicon substrate by simplifying the duplication of plural copies of the same molds used for injecting molding (or press molding) in a short period.
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Electrochemistry (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Metallurgy (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Moulds For Moulding Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
A V-groove mold fabrication method is disclosed. The method for fabricating a V-groove mold includes the following steps: (a) providing a matrix substrate having a plurality of V-grooves, and then forming a metal layer on said matrix substrate; immersing said matrix substrate having said metal layer thereon with an electroforming metal ion solution and forming a father mold by an electroforming process; and separating said father mold from said matrix substrate.
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a V-groove mold and, more particularly, to a method for fabricating a mold for further mass-producing V-groove fiber array base blocks.
- 2. Description of Related Art
- Owing to the booming high-volume communication through optical fibers, the fiber array modules are in great demand now. Basically, the fiber array modules are made by bonding optical fibers on base blocks having a plurality of grooves. For meeting the great demand for fiber array modules, improvements for mass-producing base blocks have become necessary. Generally speaking, a base block used for fiber array generally is a glass substrate or a silicone substrate having V-grooves. Traditionally, these substrates for base blocks are made by forming grooves through cutting or carving by knives. However, this traditional method for making base blocks not only takes a long time but also results in damage on the substrate. Moreover, the process for carving grooves is complex and is not suitable for mass production. Alternatively, photolithography is suggested for forming V-shaped grooves on the substrate of base blocks. However, only a silicon substrate for a fiber array module can be processed. It is difficult to manufacture the glass substrate having V-grooves through photolithography. Recently, new glass and plastic materials used for manufacturing fiber array base block by injection moldings or press moldings have been reported. Nevertheless, a method for efficiently fabricating a suitable mold for the fiber array base block is still not found. Furthermore, fabricating a mold for a fiber array base block always involves a huge amount of time and this inevitably makes the existing fiber array base blocks uneconomic. There is a need for improvement of the fabrication process of the mold.
- Therefore, it is desirable to provide a mold fabrication method for fiber array base blocks that eliminates the aforesaid drawback.
- It is the main object of the present invention to provide a fabrication method of a mold having V-grooves for simplifying the mass-production of said molds and shortening the time involved for fabricating said molds.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a V-groove mold, which can be used in fabricating a substrate of a fiber array base block by injection moldings or press moldings.
- To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the method for fabricating a mold for fiber array base blocks comprises the steps of: providing a matrix substrate having a plurality of V-grooves, and then forming a metal layer on said substrate; immersing said matrix substrate having said metal layer formed thereon with an electroforming metal ion solution and forming a father mold by an electroforming process; and separating said father mold from said matrix substrate. The metal of the metal layer is unlimited. Preferably, the metal of the metal layer is selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, silver, gold, and alloys thereof. More preferably, the metal of the metal layer is copper, silver, or alloys thereof. Preferably, the electroforming metal of the father mold of present invention is selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel-containing alloys, silver, copper, gold, chromium, and aluminum. Most preferably, the nickel-containing electroforming metal of the father mold is nickel-iron alloy, nickel-cobalt alloy, nickel-tungsten alloy, nickel-manganese alloy, Ni—SiC (nickel-siliconcarbide alloy), or Ni—Fe—TiO2 alloy.
- The fabrication method may selectively further comprise fabricating a mother V-groove mold by the foregoing method. The method of the present invention optionally further comprises the steps of forming a passive layer on the father mold surface; forming a mother mold on said passive layer by an electroforming process in an electroforming metal ion solution; and separating said mother mold from said father mold.
- The present invention also relates to a V-groove mold having an electroforming layer to a thickness between about 0.3 mm to about 30 mm. Preferably, the electroforming metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel-contained alloys, silver, copper, gold, chromium, and aluminum.
- Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a process flow of one embodiment for fabricating a V-groove mold of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing showing a process flow of another embodiment for fabricating a V-groove mold of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing a process flow of another embodiment for fabricating a V-groove mold of the present invention.
- The present invention provides a mold for fabricating a V-groove fiber array base block and a mold fabrication method suitable for mass production. The mold has an electroforming layer in a V-groove shape. The material of metal layer is unlimited. Preferably, the metal of the metal layer is selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, silver, gold, and alloys thereof. More preferably, the metal of the metal layer is copper, silver, or alloys thereof formed by evaporation or sputtering. The metal layer is in order to make the matrix substrate more conductive for conducting further electroforming. Preferably, the electroforming metal of the mold of present invention is selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel-contained alloys, silver, copper, gold, chromium, and aluminum. More preferably, the nickel-containing electroforming metal of the mold is nickel-iron alloy, nickel-cobalt alloy, nickel-tungsten alloy, nickel-manganese alloy, Ni—SiC, or Ni—Fe—TiO2 alloy. The thickness of the electroforming layer is not limited. Preferably, the thickness of the electroforming layer ranges from 0.3 mm to about 30 mm.
- The mold fabrication method comprises the steps of:
- (A) providing a matrix substrate having a plurality of V-grooves, and then forming a metal layer on said matrix substrate;
- (B) immersing said matrix substrate having said metal layer formed thereon with an electroforming metal ion solution and forming a father mold by an electroforming process; and
- (C) separating said father mold from said matrix substrate.
- The fabrication method may optionally further comprise the following steps in order to improve throughput, if necessary.
- (D) forming a passive layer on said father mold;
- (E) forming a mother mold on said passive layer by an electroforming process in an electroforming metal ion solution; and
- (F) separating said mother mold from said father mold.
- The passivation process in step (D) facilitates the release of the electroforming layer (the mother mold) from the V-groove father mold and further prevents the electroforming layer from combining with the V-groove father mold when proceeding in step (E). By repeating the process from step (D) to step (F), lots of mother molds can be produced. But the construction of the mother mold may not be equal to that of the father mold. The fiber array base blocks can not be produced directly by the mother mold so a son mold, constructed equal to the father mold for mass-producing fiber array base blocks, is produced from the mother mold by passivation and electroforming processes. To be more specific, the son molds can be achieved through the following steps.
- (G) forming a passive layer on said mother mold;
- (H) forming a son mold on said passive layer by an electroforming process in an electroforming metal ion solution; and
- (I) separating said son mold from said mother mold.
- The son mold can be taken as a father mold for producing more mother molds from step (D) to step (F). A V-groove fiber array base block can be produced by either the son or father molds. The thickness of the metal layer, preferably silver or copper, may be between about 40 nm to about 200 nm. More preferably, the thickness of metal layer is between about 40 nm to about 80 nm. Preferably, the electroforming metal ion solution is a nickel-containing solution. More preferably, the nickel-containing electroforming solution used to conduct the electroforming process in steps (B), (E) and (H) is Ni(NH2SO3) 4H2O or NiSO4. The passivation process at steps (D) and (G) is exposing to plasma or immersing the mold surface with a passivation reagent. The passivation reagent is unlimited. Preferably, the passivation reagent comprises a K2Cr2O7 solution or a basic solution, such as Na2CO3 or NaOH, to form a passive layer by a chemical method. Optionally, the passivation reagent may further include surfactant. Of course, the chemical method for forming a passive layer can be replaced by a plasma process to form an oxide layer on the surface of the mold. The thickness of the oxide layer is unlimited, but can not result in an adverse effect on the performance of the further electroforming process in steps (E) or (H). Preferably, the thickness of the oxide layer is particularly thin so that all the electroforming performances in steps (B), (E) and (H) are similar. The method of separating the electroformed mother mold from the father mold in step (F) is unlimited. The method of separating the electroformed son mold from the mother mold in step (I) is also unlimited. Preferably, the method in step (F) and (I) can be achieved by hand.
- The application of the molds produced by the method of the present invention is not limited. Preferably, the V-groove mold of the present invention is applied for fabricating a fiber array base block by injection moldings or press moldings, especially for a glass or plastic substrate.
- The following embodiments of the present invention are examples of a V-groove mold by using the fabrication method of the present invention.
- With reference to FIG. 1, a process indicating the sequence for fabricating a V-groove mold of the present invention is shown. A
silicon substrate 100 is used as a matrix substrate in the present embodiment. Asilver metal layer 110 is formed on thesubstrate 100 by sputtering. The sputtering is achieved in a Denton Vacuum Desk II equipment under a pressure of 75 mtorr and at an electric current of 45 mA. Then asilver metal layer 110 of a thickness between about 40 nm to 80 nm is obtained. - In one aspect, the
substrate 100 having thesilver metal layer 110 proceeds in an electroforming process. According to the electroforming operating conditions in Table 1, a current density ranging from 2 ASD to 3 ASD is applied for 27 to 40 hours, and then the current is increased to a range between about 12 ASD to about 14 ASD for 8 days. A nickel-containingelectroformed layer 120 of a thickness of 30 mm is obtained.TABLE 1 Items Operating conditions Concentration of Ni(NH2SO3)4H2O 450 g/L Concentration of NiCl26H2O 6 g/L Concentration of H3BO3 40 g/L pH value 4.0 Temperature 50° C. Current density 1-10 ASD Surfactant 0.05-0.1 g/L Concentration of STAR FUTURON Stress relieving agent (STAR CS) 1-10 ml/L - The nickel-containing electroformed layer is then separated from the matrix substrate and taken as a V-groove father mold. There may be silicon residuals adhering to the father mold surface after mold separation. Additional etching processes may be applied to remove both the silicon residual and the metal layer on the father mold. The etching solution includes NH4OH and H2O2. The V-groove profile on the surface of the father mold will be improved after the etching process.
- With reference to FIG. 2, a sequence of the manufacturing process for mass-producing the mother molds of the present invention is shown. As shown in FIG. 2, a mother mold is obtained from the V-groove father mold (i.e. nickel-containing electroformed layer)120 fabricated in example 1. A
passive surface 125 is subsequently formed on the V-groove father mold 120 by a passivation process. The passivation process is performed by immersing the V-groove father mold 120 in a solution having a passivation reagent such as a solution of Na2CO3 and a surfactant. An oxide layer (i.e. a passive surface) 125 is formed on the surface of the V-groove father mold 120 by a chemical method. The operating conditions for the passivation process are shown in Table 2.TABLE 2 Items Operating conditions Concentration of 12.5 g/L Na2CO3 solution Temperature 60° C. Type of cathode Titanium Mesh Area ratio of cathode to anode 1:1 Current density for 1-3 ASD cathode and anode Reaction time 0.2-1 mins - When the V-
groove father mold 120 is exposed to the passive solution, the cathode of the power supply is connected to the V-groove father mold 120 and the anode is connected to a titanium mesh. A degreasing process is executed for 30 seconds at the current equal to 2 ASD. By exchanging the location of the V-groove father mold 120 with that of titanium mesh, (i.e. connecting the anode of the power supply to the V-groove father mold 120 and connecting the cathode to the titanium mesh), the passivation process is achieved after being conducted for 30 seconds at the current equal to 2 ASD. - By repeating the electroforming process described in example 1, a nickel-containing electroformed layer (i.e. a mother mold)140 is formed on the
passive surface 125. The passive layer is then separated or released from the V-groove father mold. - With reference to FIG. 3, a sequence of the manufacturing process for mass-producing the father molds of the present invention is shown. As shown in FIG. 3, a
son mold 150 is obtained from the V-groove mother mold 140. Apassive surface 145 is subsequently formed on the V-groove mother mold 140 by a passivation process. The passivation process is performed by immersing the V-groove mother mold 140 in a solution having a passivation reagent such as a solution of Na2CO3 and a surfactant. An oxide layer (i.e. a passive surface) 145 is formed on the surface of the V-groove mother mold 140 by a chemical method. The operating conditions for the passivation process are same as those shown in Table 2. - By repeating the electroforming process described in example 1, a nickel-containing electroformed layer (i.e. a son mold)150 is formed on the
passive surface 145. The passive layer is then separated or released from the V-groove mother mold 140. Theson mold 150 can be taken as another nickel-containing father mold for further application of mass-production. According to this method, every nickel-containing metal mold can be treated as a mold to duplicate another mold. - With reference to FIG. 1, a process indicating the sequence for fabricating a V-groove mold of the present invention is shown. A Pyrex Substrate (i.e. a glass substrate)100 is used as a matrix substrate in the present embodiment. A
nickel metal layer 110 is formed on thesubstrate 100 by sputtering. The sputtering is achieved in a Denton Vacuum Desk II equipment under a pressure of 75 mtorr and at an electric current of 45 mA. Then anickel metal layer 110 of a thickness between about 0.04 μm to 0.08 μm is obtained. - In one aspect, the
substrate 100 having thenickel metal layer 110 proceeds in an electroforming process. According to the electroforming operating conditions in Table 3, a current density ranges from 2 ASD to 3 ASD is applied for 27 to 40 hours, and then the current is increased to a range between about 12 ASD to about 14 ASD for 8 days. A nickel-containing (a nickel-iron alloy)electroformed layer 120 of a thickness of 30 mm is obtained.TABLE 3 Items Operating conditions Concentration of Ni(SO4) 6H2O 200 g/L Concentration of Fe2(SO4)3 8 g/L Concentration of H3BO3 25 g/L Concentration of FeCl3 5 g/L Saccharin 3 g/L pH value 2.8-4.2 Temperature 50-65° C. Current density 0.1-8 ASD Surfactant 5 ml/L Surface tension 27 mN/m - The nickel-containing electroformed layer is then separated from the matrix substrate and taken as a V-groove father mold.
- With reference to FIG. 2, a sequence of the manufacturing process for mass-producing the mother molds of the present invention is shown. As shown in FIG. 2, a mother mold is obtained from the V-groove father mold (i.e. nickel-containing electroformed layer)120 fabricated in example 3. A
passive surface 125 is subsequently formed on the V-groove father mold 120 by a passivation process. The passivation process is performed by immersing the V-groove father mold 120 in a solution having a passivation reagent such as a solution of K2Cr2O7 and a surfactant. An oxide layer (i.e. a passive surface) 125 is formed on the surface of the V-groove father mold 120 by a chemical method. The operating conditions for the passivation process are shown in Table 4.TABLE 4 Items Operating conditions Concentration of 0.6 g/L K2Cr2O7 solution Concentration of a passivation 50 ml/L reagent for Nickel-iron alloy Temperature 25-40° C. Type of cathode Titanium Mesh Area ratio of cathode to anode 1:1 Current density for 1-5 ASD cathode and anode Reaction time 0.2-1 mins - When the V-
groove father mold 120 is exposed to the passive solution, the cathode of the power supply is connected to the V-groove father mold 120 and the anode is connected to a titanium mesh. A degreasing process is executed for 30 seconds at the current equal to 2 ASD. By exchanging the location of the V-groove father mold 120 with that of titanium mesh, (i.e. connecting the anode of power supply to the second V-groove mold 120 and connecting the cathode to the titanium mesh), the passivation process is achieved after being conducted for 30 seconds at the current equal to 2 ASD. - By repeating the electroforming process described in example 3, a nickel-containing (a nickel-iron alloy) electroformed layer (i.e. a mother mold)140 is formed on the
passive surface 125. The passive layer is then separated or released from the V-groove father mold. The nickel-containing electroformed layer (i.e. a mother mold) 140 can be taken as another nickel-containing mold for further application of mass-production by repeating the passivation process and electroforming process described above. According to this method, every nickel-containing metal mold can be treated as a mold to duplicate another mold. - The present invention provides a V-groove mold, which is used in fabricating a glass substrate or a silicon substrate of a fiber array base block through injection moldings or press moldings. Meanwhile, the present invention also provides a novel method for duplicating this V-groove mold rapidly by passivation process. In other words, the fabrication method facilitates the mass production of the glass substrates and silicon substrate by simplifying the duplication of plural copies of the same molds used for injecting molding (or press molding) in a short period.
- Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims (19)
1. A method for fabricating a mold for a fiber array base block comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a matrix substrate having a plurality of V-grooves, and then forming a metal layer on said matrix substrate;
(b) immersing said matrix substrate having said metal layer thereon with an electroforming metal ion solution and forming a father mold by an electroforming process; and
(c) separating said father mold from said matrix substrate.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
(d) forming a passive layer on said father mold;
(e) forming a mother mold on said passive layer by an electroforming process in an electroforming metal ion solution; and
(f) separating said mother mold from said father mold.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
(g) forming a passive layer on said mother mold;
(h) forming a son mold on said passive layer by an electroforming process in an electroforming metal ion solution; and
(i) separating said son mold from said mother mold;
wherein said son mold is taken as a father mold for mass-production.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the material of said metal layer is selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, silver, gold, and alloys thereof.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said metal of said mold formed by said electroforming process is selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel-containing alloys, silver, copper, gold, chromium, and aluminum.
6. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said metal of said mold formed by said electroforming process is selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel-containing alloys, silver, copper, gold, chromium, and aluminum.
7. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said metal of said mold formed by said electroforming process is selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel-containing alloys, silver, copper, gold, chromium, and aluminum.
8. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said nickel-containing alloys comprise nickel-iron alloy, nickel-cobalt alloy, nickel-tungsten alloy, nickel-manganese alloy, Ni—SiC, or Ni—Fe—TiO2 alloy.
9. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said nickel-containing alloys comprise nickel-iron alloy, nickel-cobalt alloy, nickel-tungsten alloy, nickel-manganese alloy, Ni—SiC, or Ni—Fe—TiO2 alloy.
10. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said nickel-containing alloys comprise nickel-iron alloy, nickel-cobalt alloy, nickel-tungsten alloy, nickel-manganese alloy, Ni—SiC, or Ni—Fe—TiO2 alloy.
11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said electroforming metal ion solution used for electroforming in step (b) is a solution of Ni(NH2SO3) 4H2O or NiSO4.
12. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said passive layer is formed by exposing said surface of said father mold to plasma, a K2Cr2O7 solution or a basic solution.
13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said basic solution is Na2CO3 or NaOH.
14. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said father mold or son mold is applied for injection molding fiber array base blocks.
15. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said father mold or son mold is applied for press molding fiber array base blocks.
16. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the thickness of said metal layer ranges from 0.04 μm to 0.2 μm.
17. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said passive layer is a metal oxide layer.
18. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein sputtering or evaporation forms said metal layer.
19. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising step (c1) etching said metal layer remaining on said father mold using H2O2 and NH4OH after step (c).
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TW091119597 | 2002-08-28 | ||
TW091119597A TW590999B (en) | 2002-08-28 | 2002-08-28 | Mold for producing array optical fiber substrate with V-shaped grooves and method for producing the same |
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US10/703,536 Abandoned US20040134786A1 (en) | 2002-08-28 | 2003-11-10 | Mold for a V-groove fiber array base block and fabrication method thereof |
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Cited By (8)
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US20060163725A1 (en) * | 2005-01-27 | 2006-07-27 | Toshio Haba | Wiring board and production method thereof |
US20060180472A1 (en) * | 2005-01-27 | 2006-08-17 | Toshio Haba | Metal structure and method of its production |
US20070125655A1 (en) * | 2005-12-02 | 2007-06-07 | Buckley Paul W | Electroform, methods of making electroforms, and products made from electroforms |
US20070125652A1 (en) * | 2005-12-02 | 2007-06-07 | Buckley Paul W | Electroform, methods of making electroforms, and products made from electroforms |
US20070125654A1 (en) * | 2005-12-02 | 2007-06-07 | Buckley Paul W | Electroform, methods of making electroforms, and products made from electroforms |
ES2284328A1 (en) * | 2005-06-15 | 2007-11-01 | Uneco, S.A. | Casting mould and process for its manufacturing |
US20100101961A1 (en) * | 2007-06-28 | 2010-04-29 | Emot Co., Ltd. | Method of duplicating nano pattern texture on object's surface by nano imprinting and electroforming |
US20110104321A1 (en) * | 2007-11-01 | 2011-05-05 | Jun-Ying Zhang | Method for replicating master molds |
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US6010609A (en) * | 1995-07-28 | 2000-01-04 | Nippon Carside Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Method of making a microprism master mold |
US6695987B2 (en) * | 2000-05-12 | 2004-02-24 | Pioneer Corporation | Production method for optical disc |
-
2002
- 2002-08-28 TW TW091119597A patent/TW590999B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
-
2003
- 2003-11-10 US US10/703,536 patent/US20040134786A1/en not_active Abandoned
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US6010609A (en) * | 1995-07-28 | 2000-01-04 | Nippon Carside Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Method of making a microprism master mold |
US6695987B2 (en) * | 2000-05-12 | 2004-02-24 | Pioneer Corporation | Production method for optical disc |
Cited By (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20060163725A1 (en) * | 2005-01-27 | 2006-07-27 | Toshio Haba | Wiring board and production method thereof |
US20060180472A1 (en) * | 2005-01-27 | 2006-08-17 | Toshio Haba | Metal structure and method of its production |
US20080251387A1 (en) * | 2005-01-27 | 2008-10-16 | Toshio Haba | Wiring Board and Production Method Thereof |
US7922887B2 (en) * | 2005-01-27 | 2011-04-12 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Metal structure and method of its production |
ES2284328A1 (en) * | 2005-06-15 | 2007-11-01 | Uneco, S.A. | Casting mould and process for its manufacturing |
US20070125655A1 (en) * | 2005-12-02 | 2007-06-07 | Buckley Paul W | Electroform, methods of making electroforms, and products made from electroforms |
US20070125652A1 (en) * | 2005-12-02 | 2007-06-07 | Buckley Paul W | Electroform, methods of making electroforms, and products made from electroforms |
US20070125654A1 (en) * | 2005-12-02 | 2007-06-07 | Buckley Paul W | Electroform, methods of making electroforms, and products made from electroforms |
US20100101961A1 (en) * | 2007-06-28 | 2010-04-29 | Emot Co., Ltd. | Method of duplicating nano pattern texture on object's surface by nano imprinting and electroforming |
US20130192994A9 (en) * | 2007-06-28 | 2013-08-01 | Emot Co., Ltd. | Method of duplicating nano pattern texture on object's surface by nano imprinting and electroforming |
US9845543B2 (en) | 2007-06-28 | 2017-12-19 | Emot Co., Ltd. | Method of duplicating nano pattern texture on object's surface by nano imprinting and electroforming |
US20110104321A1 (en) * | 2007-11-01 | 2011-05-05 | Jun-Ying Zhang | Method for replicating master molds |
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