A study of additive manufacturing in the field of MEMS manufacturing

Abstract

The recent success of additive manufacturing processes in the manufacturing sector has led to a shift in the focus from simple prototyping to real productiongrade technology. Additive manufacturing is a relatively recent manufacturing method which has become a key area of interest in multiple industrial sectors.Deriving from CAD models the process can be used to create solid yet highly complex parts and pushes towards a tool-less manufacturing environment meaning improved quality and better efficiency in many cases. The enhanced capabilities of Additive Manufacturing processes to build intricate geometric shapes with high precision and resolution have led to their increased use in fabrication of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS). The Additive Manufacturing technology has offered tremendous flexibility to users for fabricating custom-built components. Over the past few decades, different types of Additive Manufacturing technologies have been developed.
This article provides a comprehensive review of the recent developments and significant achievements in most widely used Additive Manufacturing technologies for MEMS fabrication, their working methodology, advantages, limitations, and potential applications. Furthermore, some of the emerging hybrid Additive Manufacturing technologies are discussed, and the current challenges associated with the Additive Manufacturing processes are addressed. Finally, future directions for process improvements in Additive Manufacturing techniques are presented.