JP2007021993A - Micromachine component, method for manufacturing micromachine component, and method for manufacturing mold for micromachine component - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method capable of forming a micromechanical component having a complicated three-dimensional shape, in particular, a three-dimensional structure having an overhang portion, accurately and simply.
A method of manufacturing a micromechanical component or the like according to the present invention forms a cured resin layer by selectively irradiating light to a photocurable resin liquid by repeating collective exposure in units of projection areas. The cured resin layers are sequentially laminated to form a three-dimensional shape. The present invention is particularly effective when the structure of a micromechanical component or the like is a complicated three-dimensional structure having an overhang portion.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention provides a micromechanical component manufacturing method in which a photocurable resin liquid is selectively irradiated with light to form a cured resin layer, and the cured resin layer is sequentially laminated to form a three-dimensional structure. The present invention relates to a method, a method of manufacturing a mold for a micro machine component, and a micro machine component manufactured by the mold for the micro machine component.

  In recent years, various electronic devices and various devices typified by portable terminals and the like have been strongly demanded to be small and light and to have high performance. For this reason, there is an increasing need for miniaturization of mechanical parts such as screws, gears, motor housings, and springs used in electronic devices. Note that a micro-sized mechanical component (hereinafter referred to as “micro-mechanical component”) in the present specification refers to a component that requires a micrometer (μm) order resolution. In addition, the use of the micro mechanical component is not limited to that used in various electronic devices and various apparatuses, but includes those applied to various structures in general.

  Conventionally, a cutting method for cutting a metal material or the like has been used as a method for manufacturing a machine part. In addition, as a technique for miniaturizing mechanical parts, research on a method for manufacturing a two-dimensional structure based on a lithography technique has been energetically performed. In the lithography technique, a technique for forming a structure having an overhang portion by adopting an intermediate step of providing a sacrificial layer has also been proposed (Patent Documents 1 and 2). As a method of processing a three-dimensional mechanical component, methods such as X-ray lithography (Non-patent Document 1) and electric discharge machining (Non-Patent Document 2) have been proposed. In addition, a layered manufacturing method has been proposed in which each cross-sectional shape of a structure is batch-produced on a donor substrate using a semiconductor process and transferred and laminated on a target substrate using a room temperature bonding method (Patent Document 3). Further, a photo-curing modeling method (hereinafter simply referred to as “optical modeling method”) (Non-Patent Document 3) has also been proposed.

An optical modeling method models based on the data of the cross-section group obtained by slicing the three-dimensional model to be modeled into a plurality of layers. Usually, light is first applied to the surface of the photocurable resin liquid in a region corresponding to the lowermost cross section. Then, the photocurable resin liquid on the liquid surface portion irradiated with light is photocured, and a cured resin layer of one cross section of the three-dimensional model is formed. Next, an uncured photocurable resin liquid is coated on the surface of the cured resin layer with a predetermined thickness. At this time, it is common to coat the cured resin layer by immersing it in a photocurable resin liquid filled in the resin tank by a predetermined thickness. In addition, a relatively small amount of a photocurable resin is applied to the entire surface by a recoater every time one cured resin layer is formed. Then, laser beam scanning is performed on the surface along a predetermined pattern, and the coat layer portion irradiated with light is cured. The cured portion is laminated and integrated with the lower cured resin layer. Thereafter, a desired three-dimensional model is formed by repeating light irradiation and coating with a photocurable resin liquid while switching the cross section handled in the light irradiation process to an adjacent cross section (see Patent Document 4 and Patent Document 5). The stereolithography method is a technique that can easily and quickly form a three-dimensional structure having an overhang portion based on CAD data.
International Micromechanism Symposium IFToMM, June, W.M. Menz 1993, page 106 IEEE MEMS-90 Worksshop T.E. Masaki 1990, pp. 21-26 IEEE MEMS-94 Workshop T.E. Takagi 1994, pages 211-216 JP 2004-69733 A JP 2004-9183 A JP-A-10-305488 JP 56-144478 A JP-A-62-35966

  When a micromechanical component is manufactured, when a lithography technique is used, the micromechanical component having a three-dimensional structure is difficult to manufacture because it is generally limited to a structure having no overhang portion. In addition, when a three-dimensional structure is formed by employing an intermediate process for forming a sacrificial layer, a separate process for removing the sacrificial layer is required, which complicates the manufacturing process and requires a long time for manufacturing. There was a problem such as. In addition, when the X-ray lithography technique is used, there is a problem that the apparatus is limited to an X-ray resist in addition to the problem that the apparatus is large. Further, in the electric discharge machining, there is a problem that the non-conductive material cannot be machined. Further, the methods such as cutting and grinding have a problem that a machine part having a space inside cannot be manufactured in addition to a problem that a fine processing tool or the like is required.

  In addition, the additive manufacturing method described in Patent Document 1 requires that a manufacturing process is complicated because it is necessary to provide each of the cross-sectional shapes of mechanical parts on a donor substrate and to precisely align them. There was a problem of becoming. Furthermore, it is difficult to increase the resolution of a modeled object by the conventional stereolithography method, and the typical resolution is several tens of μm, and it is difficult to use it for manufacturing a micromachine part that requires higher resolution. there were.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described background, and an object of the present invention is to form a micro three-dimensional structure that is capable of forming a complicated three-dimensional structure and can be formed easily and quickly with high accuracy. It is to provide a manufacturing method.

  The method for manufacturing a micromechanical component or the like according to the present invention includes forming a cured resin layer by selectively irradiating light to a photocurable resin liquid by repeating collective exposure in units of projection areas, and the cured resin layer. Are sequentially laminated to form a three-dimensional structure. The present invention is particularly effective when the structure of a micromechanical component or the like is a complicated three-dimensional structure having an overhang portion.

Here, in the case where the area of the projection region is 100 mm ² or less, the optical component or the like can be formed with higher accuracy by using the optical modeling method according to the present invention.
Similarly, when the thickness of one layer of the cured resin layer is 10 μm or less, a micromechanical component or the like can be formed with higher accuracy by using the optical modeling method according to the present invention. The method for manufacturing a micromechanical component or the like according to the present invention is suitably used when the photocurable resin liquid is cured by light reflected by a digital mirror device.

  In addition, the method for manufacturing a micromechanical component or the like according to the present invention is to manufacture a micromechanical component or the like made of ceramic with higher strength by blending ceramic powder with the photocurable resin liquid. Can do. Further, by blending a filler into the photocurable resin liquid, a micromechanical component having the characteristics of the filler can be produced.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to form a complicated three-dimensional structure, and it has an excellent effect that it is possible to provide a method of manufacturing a micromechanical component that can be formed easily and quickly with high accuracy.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described. It goes without saying that other embodiments may also belong to the category of the present invention as long as they match the gist of the present invention.

[Embodiment 1 (Manufacturing method of micro mechanical component)]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a device configuration of a photo-curing modeling apparatus (hereinafter referred to as “optical modeling apparatus”) that manufactures the micro mechanical component according to the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, the optical modeling apparatus 100 includes a light source 1, a digital mirror device (hereinafter abbreviated as “DMD”) 2, a lens 3, a modeling table 4, a dispenser 5, a recoater 6, a control unit 7, and a storage unit 8. Etc.

  The light source 1 is mounted with a laser beam capable of oscillating. The photo-curable resin liquid can be cured by irradiating a photo-curable resin liquid described later with a laser beam generated from the light source 1. Therefore, it is necessary to mount a laser beam having a wavelength capable of curing the photocurable resin liquid 10. Specific examples of the light source 1 include a laser diode (LD) that generates 405 nm laser light and an ultraviolet (UV) lamp.

  The digital mirror device (DMD) 2 is a device developed by Texas Instruments, and hundreds of thousands to millions of micromirrors that move independently on a CMOS semiconductor, for example, 480,000 to 1.31 million are spread. It is what has been. Individual micromirrors can be tilted by about ± 10 degrees, for example, about ± 12 degrees about the diagonal line by an electrostatic field effect. By controlling the angle of each micromirror, it is possible to irradiate a desired position of a photocurable resin liquid formed on a modeling table described later.

  The micromirror provided in the DMD 2 has a square shape in which the length of one side of the pitch of each micromirror is about 10 μm, for example, 13.68 μm. The interval between adjacent micromirrors is, for example, 1 μm. The entire DMD 2 used in the first embodiment has a square shape of 40.8 × 31.8 mm (of which the mirror portion has a square shape of 14.0 × 10.5 mm). It is composed of 786,432 micromirrors having a length of 13.68 μm. The laser beam emitted from the light source 1 is reflected by a micromirror that is a constituent member of the DMD 2. In the DMD 2, the laser beam reflected toward the condensing lens 3 is irradiated to the photocurable resin liquid 10 on the modeling table 4.

  The lens 3 plays a role of guiding the laser beam reflected by the DMD 2 onto the photocurable resin liquid 10 to form a projection region. The lens 3 may be a condenser lens using a convex lens or a concave lens. When a concave lens is used, a projection area larger than the actual size of DMD 2 can be obtained. The lens 3 according to the first embodiment is a condensing lens composed of a convex lens, and reduces incident light about 15 times and condenses it on a coat layer 9 formed of the photocurable resin liquid 10.

  The modeling table 4 is composed of a flat mounting table. The coating layer 9 of the photocurable resin liquid 10 is formed on the modeling table 4, and the photocurable resin liquid 10 is cured by being irradiated with a laser beam through the lens 3. The modeling table 4 is configured so that horizontal movement and vertical movement can be freely moved by a driving mechanism (not shown), that is, a moving mechanism. With this drive mechanism, stereolithography can be performed over a desired range. The dispenser 5 is configured to store the photocurable resin liquid 10 and supply a predetermined amount of the photocurable resin liquid 10 to a predetermined position. The recoater 6 includes, for example, a blade mechanism and a moving mechanism, and is configured so that the photocurable resin liquid 10 can be uniformly applied.

  The control unit 7 controls the light source 1, DMD 2, modeling table 4, dispenser 5, and recoater 6 according to control data including exposure data. The control unit 7 can typically be configured by installing a predetermined program in a computer. A typical computer configuration includes a central processing unit (CPU) and memory. The CPU and the memory are connected to an external storage device such as a hard disk device as an auxiliary storage device via a bus. This external storage device functions as the storage unit 8 of the control unit 7. A storage medium drive device such as a flexible disk device, a hard disk device, or a CD-ROM drive that functions as the storage unit 8 is connected to a bus via various controllers. A portable storage medium such as a flexible disk is inserted into a storage medium driving apparatus such as a flexible disk apparatus. The storage medium can store a predetermined computer program for executing the present embodiment by giving instructions to the CPU in cooperation with the operating system.

  The storage unit 8 stores control data including exposure data of cross-sectional groups obtained by slicing a three-dimensional model to be modeled into a plurality of layers. Based on the exposure data stored in the storage unit 8, the control unit 7 mainly controls the angle control of each micromirror in the DMD 2 and the movement of the modeling table 4 (that is, the position of the laser beam irradiation range with respect to the three-dimensional model). Instructing the modeling of the three-dimensional model.

  The computer program is executed by being loaded into a memory. The computer program can be compressed or divided into a plurality of pieces and stored in a storage medium. In addition, user interface hardware can be provided. Examples of the user interface hardware include a pointing device for inputting such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a display for presenting visual data to the user.

As the photocurable resin liquid 10, one that is cured by a laser beam is selected. As the laser beam, for example, visible light or ultraviolet light can be suitably used. For example, an acrylic resin corresponding to 405 nm having a curing depth of 15 μm or more (500 mJ / cm ² ) and a viscosity of 1500 to 2500 Pa · s (25 ° C.) can be used.

  Next, the optical modeling operation of the optical modeling apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described. First, the uncured photocurable resin liquid 10 is accommodated in the dispenser 5. The modeling table 4 is in the initial position. The dispenser 5 supplies the stored photocurable resin liquid 10 on the modeling table 4 by a predetermined amount. The recoater 6 sweeps the photocurable resin liquid 10 so as to stretch and forms a coat layer 9 for one layer to be cured.

The laser beam emitted from the light source 1 enters the DMD 2. The DMD 2 is controlled by the control unit 7 according to the exposure data stored in the storage unit 8, and the control unit 7 irradiates the laser beam to a desired position of the coat layer 9 formed by the photocurable resin liquid 10. Thus, the angle of the micromirror is adjusted. As a result, the laser beam reflected from the micromirror is applied to the coating layer 9 of the photocurable resin liquid 10 through the condenser lens 3, and the laser beam reflected from the other micromirrors is applied to the photocurable resin liquid 10. The coat layer 9 is not irradiated. Irradiation of the laser beam to the photocurable resin liquid 10 is performed for 0.4 seconds, for example. At this time, the projection region of the photocurable resin liquid 10 onto the coat layer 9 is, for example, about 1.3 × 1.8 mm, and can be reduced to about 0.6 × 0.9 mm. The area of the projection region is usually desirably 100 mm ² or less.

  By using a concave lens for the lens 3, the projection area can be expanded to about 6 × 9 cm. If the projection area is enlarged beyond this size, the energy density of the laser beam applied to the projection area is lowered, so that the photocurable resin liquid 10 may be insufficiently cured. In the case of forming a three-dimensional model larger than the size of the laser beam projection area, for example, the modeling table 4 is moved horizontally by a moving mechanism to move the irradiation position of the laser beam and irradiate the entire modeling area. Laser beam irradiation is performed one shot at each projection area. Control of laser beam irradiation to each projection area will be described in detail later.

  In this way, by moving the projection area and performing irradiation of the laser beam with each projection area as a unit, that is, exposure, the coat layer 9 of the photocurable resin liquid 10 is cured, and the first layer A cured resin layer is formed. The lamination pitch for one layer, that is, the thickness of one cured resin layer is, for example, 1 to 50 μm, preferably 2 to 10 μm, and more preferably 5 to 10 μm. In the conventional optical modeling method, it is difficult to increase the resolution of a modeled object, and the typical resolution is several tens of μm, and it is difficult to use it for manufacturing a micromechanical component that requires higher resolution. According to the optical modeling method according to the first embodiment, for example, the resolution can be increased to about 5 μm in the stacking direction, and the planar resolution parallel to the modeling table can be increased to about 2 μm.

  Subsequently, a second layer of a three-dimensional model having a desired shape is simultaneously formed in the same process. Specifically, the photocurable resin liquid 10 supplied from the dispenser 5 is applied to the outside of the cured resin layer formed as the first layer so as to be stretched beyond the three-dimensional model by the recoater 6. Then, a second cured resin layer is formed on the first cured resin layer by irradiating with a laser beam. Thereafter, the third and subsequent cured resin layers are sequentially deposited in the same manner. And after completion | finish of deposition of the last layer, the modeling thing formed on the modeling table 4 is taken out. The molded object removes the uncured photocurable resin liquid adhering to the surface by washing or other methods. Thereafter, the molded article may be further irradiated with an ultraviolet lamp or the like as necessary to further cure.

  Next, an example of a micromechanical component that can be manufactured by the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment will be described. As long as the three-dimensional structure of the micromechanical part is within the resolution range of the above-described stereolithography apparatus, an arbitrary structure can be manufactured. For example, micro screws, micro gears, micro gears, micro motor housings, micro turbine housings, micro springs, micro coils, mechanism parts such as micro cams and rods, etc., and for placing these parts in appropriate positions Jigs, chassis, etc. can be manufactured. The method for manufacturing a micromachine component or the like according to this embodiment is particularly suitable for manufacturing a micromachine component or the like having a complicated three-dimensional structure having an overhang portion. As a specific example of the three-dimensional structure having an overhang portion, a micro turbine as shown in FIG. 2 can be cited.

  Here, “having an overhang portion” means that the overhang portion is present at least in part when viewed from the vertical direction even when the three-dimensional structure is rotated and installed in any direction. To do. In addition, the overhang portion is a portion having a structure in which the horizontal width of the upper portion is larger than the horizontal width of a certain portion. Typically, the overhang portion is in contact with the column portion and the column portion than the column portion. However, it is not limited to a linear structure, but includes a shape having a curved surface that rises in the vertical direction and protrudes in the horizontal direction, and a so-called reverse tapered shape. It is a concept. For example, the cylindrical shape is an overhang when viewed from the vertical direction with the cylindrical side in contact with the horizontal plane, but there is no overhang when viewed from the vertical direction with the bottom in contact with the horizontal plane. It is not a three-dimensional structure having an overhang portion. On the other hand, the spherical shape is a three-dimensional structure having an overhang portion. The manufacturing method of the present invention is particularly suitable for modeling a three-dimensional structure having an overhang portion. If the structure has no overhang portion when viewed from a certain direction, the overhang portion is essentially difficult to manufacture. This is because even if other manufacturing methods are used, it may be possible to form the three-dimensional structure.

  The micro turbine 20 shown in FIG. 2 is manufactured according to the above manufacturing method. The micro turbine 20 includes nine blades 21 having a three-dimensional curved surface shape. In the example shown in the figure, the thickness of one layer of the cured resin layer is 10 μm, and the total number is 50 layers (total thickness is 5 mm).

  The photocurable resin liquid used in Embodiment 1 is not particularly limited, but a photocurable resin liquid composition comprising a radical polymerizable compound and / or a cationic polymerizable compound is usually preferable. Used for. In addition, a photopolymerization initiator corresponding to radical polymerization or cationic polymerization is usually added to these photocurable resin liquid compositions.

  The three-dimensional object made of the cured product obtained by the above-described stereolithography method is taken out from the stereolithography apparatus, and after removing the unreacted composition (uncured) remaining on the surface and inside thereof, it is washed as necessary. To do. Here, as the cleaning agent, alcohol-based organic solvents typified by alcohols such as isopropyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol; ketone-based organic solvents typified by acetone, ethyl acetate, methyl ethyl ketone, etc .; aliphatics typified by terpenes Based organic solvents.

  Through the above-described steps, a micromechanical component made of a cured product of a photocurable resin can be obtained. According to the manufacturing method, it is possible to manufacture a micromechanical component that can achieve weight reduction. Moreover, since it consists of resin material, it is suitable for using for a disposable use. It is possible to cope with the increase in the number of discarded items due to the disposal by incineration. In addition, since the resin material can be easily and quickly manufactured, it is suitable for use as a prototype micro-mechanical part such as a device.

  In the case where it is desired to manufacture the above-mentioned micromechanical component with ceramic, ceramic powder can be blended with the photocurable resin liquid composition. The number average particle size of the ceramic powder is usually 0.01 to 0.5 μm as measured by electron microscopy. Preferably, it is 0.02-0.3 micrometer, More preferably, it is 0.05-0.2 micrometer. The particle size of the ceramic powder is measured by electron microscopy, but scanning electron microscopy is particularly preferred. The shape of the ceramic powder is not particularly limited as long as it has a granularity that can define the particle size. For example, it is not limited to a spherical shape, and may be a pulverized body or the like. The particle diameter in the case of a shape other than a spherical shape is defined by the maximum diameter in the electron microscope image. The mixing amount of the ceramic powder in the photocurable resin liquid is not particularly limited, but it is necessary that the coating layer 9 formed from the photocurable resin liquid 10 is sufficiently hardened by the laser beam.

  The material constituting the ceramic powder is not particularly limited as long as it does not substantially absorb the light having the irradiation wavelength. For example, oxides such as alumina, zirconia, titania, zinc oxide, ferrite, barium titanate, apatite, silica, carbides such as zirconium carbide and silicon carbide, nitrides such as aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, and sialon (SiAlON), or Various ceramics such as a mixture thereof can be used. Usually, as the component (A), alumina, zirconia, silica, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, or a mixture thereof is preferably used.

  When a three-dimensionally shaped product obtained by photocuring a photocurable resin liquid containing a ceramic powder is fired, a micromechanical component made of a ceramic fired body is obtained. Compared with the hardened | cured material of the said photocurable resin liquid, the micro mechanical component of the mechanical strength of a micro mechanical component, durability, and high heat resistance can be obtained. In addition, the baking method used here is not specifically limited, A well-known method can be used.

  When it is desired to increase the heat resistance of the micromechanical component according to this embodiment, a filler capable of improving the heat resistance (hereinafter simply referred to as “heat-resistant filler”) is added to the photocurable resin liquid composition. Can do. The number average particle size of the heat-resistant filler is usually 10 to 700 nm as measured by electron microscopy. Preferably, it is 50-500 nm. The particle size of the heat-resistant filler is measured by electron microscopy, but scanning electron microscopy is particularly preferable. The shape of the filler is not particularly limited as long as it has a granularity that can define the particle size. For example, it is not limited to a spherical shape, and may be a pulverized body or the like. The particle diameter in the case of a shape other than a spherical shape is defined by the maximum diameter in the electron microscope image.

  Examples of the heat-resistant filler that can be suitably used include organic polymer particles and inorganic particles. The organic polymer particle is preferably an elastomer particle, particularly an elastomer particle having a core / shell structure, and the inorganic particle is preferably a silica particle. The material constituting the filler is not particularly limited as long as it does not substantially absorb light having an irradiation wavelength. Although the addition amount of a filler is not specifically limited, It is necessary to make the photocurable resin into an amount that can be sufficiently cured by a laser beam. In addition, it replaces with a heat resistant filler, and a conductive filler, a magnetic filler, etc. may be mixed with a photocurable resin liquid, and the characteristic of the hardened | cured material obtained may be changed. By adding various fillers, a micromechanical component having desired physical properties can be obtained.

  According to the first embodiment, a desired micromechanical component is accurately and easily shaped by repeating the light irradiation and the coating of the photocurable resin liquid while switching the cross section handled in the light irradiation process to the adjacent cross section. be able to. In addition, there is an advantage that micromechanical parts having different shapes can be easily and quickly manufactured only by rewriting the exposure data stored in the storage unit 8. Therefore, the present invention is particularly suitable for providing a small amount of various types of micro mechanical parts and custom-made micro mechanical parts. In addition, a structure having an overhang structure can be formed easily and quickly. Furthermore, by mixing ceramic powder and various fillers into the photo-curable resin liquid, the mechanical strength, heat resistance, etc. can be increased, making it possible to easily produce micromechanical parts having characteristics according to various applications. Can be manufactured.

[Embodiment 2 (Manufacturing method of mold for micro mechanical component)]
Next, a method for manufacturing a micro mechanical component mold will be described. The basic stereolithography method is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the following points. That is, in Embodiment 1 described above, the micromachine component itself is modeled by the optical modeling method. However, in Embodiment 2, the mold used for manufacturing the micromachine component is modeled and manufactured by the optical modeling method. Different. Here, the mold includes a female mold and a master mold. Both can be modeled and manufactured by the optical modeling method. Here, the female mold refers to a mold for copying a shape from the mold to manufacture a micro machine part, and the master mold is a prototype of the micro machine part to be finally manufactured, and is a master mold. This is a mold for producing the above-described female mold by copying the shape.

  As the female mold, for example, the first female substrate and the second female substrate can be joined to each other so that the internal space has the shape of the target object. . In this case, the first female substrate and the second female substrate are provided with positioning means in addition to the joining means. As specific examples of the joining means and the positioning means, a convex portion is provided on the frame body portion or the like of the first female substrate, and a concave portion to be fitted to the convex portion is provided on the second female substrate so that these can be fitted together. A method can be mentioned. Further, an engaging portion such as a pin and an engaged portion that engages with the pin may be provided on the first female substrate and the second female substrate. In addition, an injection port for injecting a liquid for forming a micromechanical component into the internal space formed when the first female substrate and the second female substrate are joined is provided as the first female substrate or / And formed on the second female substrate at the same time as the optical modeling.

  Instead of the method of forming the first female substrate and the second female substrate as a female mold, an integral female mold having an internal space structure of a desired modeled object may be manufactured by a direct optical modeling method. Good. Also in this case, an injection port for injecting a liquid for forming a micromechanical component into the internal space is simultaneously formed by an optical modeling method. In addition, at the time of stereolithography, instead of the method of forming the injection port, a through-hole for injecting a liquid for forming a micromechanical component after the female mold is formed may be formed.

  When manufacturing micromachine parts from a female mold, for example, a silane compound having a hydrolyzable group is injected into the female mold, and a hydrolysis / condensation reaction is caused by heating or the like. A three-dimensional structure made of polysiloxane or the like that is copied from the shape is obtained. By separating the three-dimensional structure from the female mold, a micromechanical component can be obtained. When the first female substrate and the second female substrate are joined, they may be separated to obtain a micromechanical component. Further, in the case of an integrally formed female mold having an internal space structure, the female mold can be cut out with a scalpel or the like, and the micromechanical component can be taken out. The liquid for forming the micro mechanical component is a material that satisfies the requirements such as mechanical strength and durability required for the micro mechanical component, and can be cured by an appropriate method after being poured into a mold and filled. Well, it is not limited to the above example. For example, molten metal may be used, and after filling a thermosetting uncured resin such as an acrylic resin, heat is applied to cure inside the mold, or a thermoplastic resin is melted and filled. Later, the inside of the mold may be cooled to be cured. Moreover, ceramic powder and a filler can also be mix | blended with these resin.

  If the structure of the female mold is complicated, the female mold may not be peeled unless the female mold is destroyed. In such a case, for example, the cured resin constituting the female mold is burned away by heat treatment at 300 ° C. for about 6 hours, or the ultrasonic treatment is performed for about 1 hour by immersing in an organic solvent such as ethanol. The female mold can be destroyed by a method such as swelling of the cured resin constituting the mold. Even if the female mold made of the photocurable resin liquid is not broken due to peeling, the mechanical strength is inferior to that of a mold or the like, so the number of times that a micromechanical component can be manufactured is limited. . However, unlike a metal mold, a female mold can be obtained easily and quickly, which is effective for trial production of micromachine parts having various shapes.

  When it is desired to use the female die of the micro mechanical part as a ceramic material, the ceramic powder can be blended with the photocurable resin liquid composition by the same method as in the first embodiment. Thereby, the female type | mold of a micro mechanical component with high mechanical strength compared with the hardened | cured material of the said photocurable resin liquid can be obtained. Thereby, the number of times of duplication and durability can be improved. Moreover, the female type | mold of a filler containing micromachine part can also be obtained by mix | blending a filler with a photocurable resin liquid composition by the method similar to the said Embodiment 1. FIG.

  The female die of the micromechanical part may be manufactured by a vacuum casting method. The vacuum casting method is a method for producing a replica by using FRP or silicon rubber as a replica mold instead of a mold and pouring resin into the mold in a vacuum. For example, the following manufacturing method can be adopted as the vacuum casting method. A master mold for micro mechanical parts is manufactured by a photocuring method. At this time, an injection port for injecting molding resin or the like from the female mold is also formed at the same time. Next, this is set in a mold. The amount of silicon resin is calculated and weighed according to the size of the mold and the size of the master mold. Thereafter, the curing agent is poured into the silicon resin and stirred to perform preliminary defoaming, and this is poured into the mold and vacuum defoamed. Thereby, silicon resin can be filled to every corner. In order to accelerate the curing of the silicon resin, heat at a constant temperature is applied for a predetermined time.

  After the silicone resin is completely cured, the mold is removed, a knife is inserted into the silicone resin, the female mold is opened, and the master mold is removed. Thereafter, the amount of molding resin is calculated and measured, and a curable resin such as a two-component curable polyurethane resin is injected from a female injection port made of silicon in a vacuum state. Due to the difference between the vacuum state and the atmospheric pressure, the resin can be spread to every corner of the female internal space structure. Thereafter, it is cured by heating at a constant temperature. After curing, the micromachine part can be obtained by cooling to room temperature and removing the formwork. Since silicon resin is used as a female mold for micro mechanical parts, it is excellent in flexibility. For this reason, damage to the master mold can be reduced. When silicon resin is used as the female mold, generally about 20 to 50 micromechanical parts can be obtained. Therefore, it is particularly suitable when a small amount is desired.

  Further, the lost wax method may be used as the female mold of the micro mechanical component. In the lost wax method, first, a master mold of micro mechanical parts is manufactured by a photocuring method. At this time, an injection port for injecting a resin liquid for forming a micro mechanical part, molten metal, or the like into the internal space from the female mold is also formed at the same time. Next, a process of applying and hardening a gypsum or ceramic slurry to the master mold is repeated, and the master mold is fired to obtain a female mold of a micromachine part. According to the female die of the micro mechanical part manufactured by the lost wax method, the metal micro mechanical part can be obtained because it has heat resistance enough to pour molten metal. Thereby, a metal micromechanical component having high mechanical strength can be obtained.

  In the case of manufacturing a micromechanical part from a master mold, for example, after electroforming Ni on the surface of the master mold, the master mold is peeled off to produce a female mold in which the shape of the master mold is copied. Thereby, a female die can be obtained. By using a metallic female mold, the durability of the female mold can be greatly improved. In this female mold, a polysiloxane micromechanical component can be obtained by injecting and reacting a silane compound having a hydrolyzable group in the same manner as described above and peeling it from the female mold. Alternatively, molten metal can be poured into a female mold to obtain a micromechanical component made of metal.

  According to the second embodiment, by repeating light irradiation and coating with a photocurable resin liquid while switching the cross section handled in the light irradiation step to an adjacent cross section, a desired micro mechanical component mold can be accurately and easily obtained. Can be shaped. In addition, micromachine parts made of various materials such as a resin material, a metal material, and a ceramic material can be produced using the mold for micromachine parts produced by the production method according to the second embodiment. For this reason, it is possible to obtain a micromechanical component made of a material optimal for various applications.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of the optical modeling apparatus according to the first embodiment. 3 is a photograph showing an example of a microturbine manufactured by the optical modeling apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 Light source 2 DMD
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Condensing lens 4 Modeling table 5 Dispenser 6 Recoater 7 Control part 8 Memory | storage part 9 Coat layer 10 Photocurable resin liquid 20 Micro turbine 100 Stereolithography apparatus

Claims (15)

  By repeating collective exposure with the projection area as a unit, selectively irradiating light to the photocurable resin liquid to form a cured resin layer, and sequentially laminating the cured resin layer to form a three-dimensional structure. A method for manufacturing a micromechanical component.   The method for manufacturing a micromachine component according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional structure of the micromachine component has an overhang portion. The method of manufacturing an optical component according to claim 1, wherein an area of the projection region is 100 mm ² or less.   4. The method of manufacturing a micromechanical component according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of one layer of the cured resin layer is 10 μm or less.   The method of manufacturing a micromechanical component according to claim 1, wherein the photocurable resin liquid is cured by light reflected by a digital mirror device.   The manufacturing method of the micro mechanical component of any one of Claims 1-5 whose said photocurable resin liquid contains ceramic powder or a filler.   By repeating collective exposure with the projection area as a unit, selectively irradiating light to the photocurable resin liquid to form a cured resin layer, and sequentially laminating the cured resin layer to form a three-dimensional structure. A method for producing a mold for a micromechanical component.   The method for manufacturing a mold for a micromachine component according to claim 7, wherein the three-dimensional structure of the micromachine component has an overhang portion. The method for manufacturing an optical component mold according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the area of the projection region is 100 mm ² or less.   10. The method for manufacturing a mold for a micromechanical component according to claim 7, wherein the thickness of one layer of the cured resin layer is 10 μm or less.   The method of manufacturing a mold for a micro mechanical component according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the photocurable resin liquid is cured by light reflected by a digital mirror device.   The method for manufacturing a micromachine component mold according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the micromachine component mold is a female mold for manufacturing a micromachine component.   The method for manufacturing a micromachine part mold according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the micromachine part mold is a master mold for manufacturing a micromachine part female mold.   The method for manufacturing a mold for a micro mechanical component according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the photocurable resin liquid contains ceramic powder or a filler.   A micromechanical component manufactured using the micromechanical component mold manufactured by the method for manufacturing a micromechanical component mold according to any one of claims 7 to 14.