Direct LIGA service for prototyping: status report

Since the early 1990s a variety of applications ranging from precision metallic, ceramic, or polymeric parts to complex devices for micro-fluidic and micro-optic applications have been discussed with the assumption that LIGA can either make a significant contribution or is the sole technology able to make these products. The question today is, have individual LIGA groups or even the entire LIGA community achieved this goal? Despite major investments, a lot of hard work from many students and researchers, and some promising “prototypes”, a true mass product made by direct LIGA, i.e., using X-ray lithography and electroplating, has still not entered the market. This paper will briefly present the current status of direct-LIGA technology and discuss some examples of commercialization efforts as well as prospects for high-volume production.