Embossing of ceramic micro-pillar arrays

A microfabrication method for producing ceramic micro-pillars is reported. The method is based on embossing of a gelforming ceramic substrate using a sacrificial polymer mould to produce ceramic micro-pillars with aspect ratios of up to 10. Such high aspect ratio ceramic micro-pillars have been demonstrated for the fabrication of 1–3 PZT piezocomposites. It is also suitable for producing any ceramic MEMS or micropatterned ceramics or microcomponents. The results indicate that the crosslinkable polymer binder system used in the gelforming processing is crucial to retain the structural integrity during mould removal and sintering stages, especially for the high aspect ratio ceramic micro-pillar structures.