A tapered hollow metallic microneedle array using backside exposure of SU-8

This paper presents a novel fabrication process for a tapered hollow metallic microneedle array using backside exposure of SU-8, and analytic solutions of critical buckling of a tapered hollow microneedle. An SU-8 mesa was formed on a Pyrex glass substrate and another SU-8 layer, which was spun on top of the SU-8 mesa, was exposed through the backside of the glass substrate. An array of SU-8 tapered pillar structures, with angles in the range of 3.1degrees-5degrees, was formed on top of the SU-8 mesa. Conformal electrodeposition of metal was carried out followed by a mechanical polishing using a planarizing polymeric layer. All organic layers were then removed to create a metallic hollow microneedle array with a fluidic reservoir on the backside. Both 200 mum and 400 mum tall, 10 by 10 arrays of metallic microneedles with inner diameters of the tip in the range of 33.6-101 mum and wall thickness of 10-20 mum were fabricated. Analytic solutions of the critical buckling of arbitrary-angled truncated cone-shaped columns are also presented. It was found that a single 400 Am tall hollow cylindrical microneedle made of electroplated nickel with a wall thickness of 20 mum, a tapered angle of 3.08degrees and a tip inner diameter of 33.6 mum has a critical buckling force of 1.8 N. This analytic solution can be used for square or rectangular cross-sectioned column structures with proper modifications.