Characterization ofMicromanipulator Controlled Dry Spinning ofMicro- andNanoscale Polymer Fibers

No currentmicrofabrication technique exists for producing room-tem perature, high-precision, point-to-point polymernanofibers inthreedimensions. Therefore, the purpose ofthisstudyistocharacterize a novelmethodfor fabricating suchstructures. Poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA) micro- andnano-fibers havebeenfabricated using atechnique whichinvolves drawing asolvated polymer bridge between two liquid pools withastylus positioned byanultra-high-precision micromill. The solvent inthesolution bridge rapidly evaporates, leaving asuspended PMMA fiber between thetwo pools. Itwasobserved thatfibers ranging indiameter from450 nm to50gmweredrawnandthatfiber diameter increased significantly withincreasing solution concentration and increasing polymer molecular weight. Keywords - Microfabrication, Polymer Fibers, MEMS,Dry