Fabrication and characterization of three-dimensional ZrO(2)-toughened Al(2)O(3) ceramic microdevices

Dense three-dimensional (3D) microdevices of ZrO(2)-toughened Al(2)O(3) (ZTA) were fabricated using microstereolithography and a subsequent sintering process. Using microstereolithography, 3D green bodies could be formed from a 40 vol% ZTA ceramic-resin paste. After sintering, the fabricated 3D devices are converted into dense ceramic devices without deformation. In this study, a gear (with a tooth edge of 25 mu m) and a photonic crystal (with a lattice constant of 500 mu m) were designed and fabricated. The dimensional accuracy of the fabrication process is within 20 mu m and the sintering shrinkage is around 26% for these microdevices. The relative density of the sintered ZTA ceramics reached 96.5% of theoretical value. The measured hardness and toughness were about 14 GPa and 11 MPa m(1/2), respectively, in both the top and side surfaces. A band gap between 320 and 420 GHz was observed in the ZTA photonic crystal. The microstereolithography process can be easily applied to other ceramic materials and devices.