A Novel Fabrication Approach for Microneedles Using Silicon Micromaching Technology

Optimization of drug delivery through human skin is important in modern therapy, and with the invention of painless microneedles makes it become true. This paper presents a novel fabrication process for a tapered hollow metallic needles array using nickel plating on the silicon microneedles molds. The silicon microneedles molds, with a shank height of 150-200 mum and 300 mum center-to-center spacing are formed, using KOH etching on Si lang100rang wafer, and the etching rate can be easily controlled around 0.5 mum/min. The finale shapes of the bottom of microneedls are regular octagon. Then through the way of nickel electroplating on the silicon microneedles, the metallic needles can be fabricated. The closed tips of needles are opened by using some mechanism polishing methods. The delivery properties of the microneedles are under investigation