Quality assessment of polymer replication by hot embossing and micro-injection moulding processes using scanning mechanical microscopy

This paper describes observations and metrological analyses made to compare the replication quality of polymeric replicas obtained by filling micro-cavities using both hot embossing and micro-injection moulding processes. The experiments are performed with polypropylene (PP) at a constant melt temperature and a constant mould temperature, whereas hot embossing tests are carried out with the same polymer at temperatures close to the softening one. The results concerning the micro-cavities filling provide information on the reliability about the possibilities of replication topographical surface geometries. The data obtained by scanning mechanical microscopy (SMM) are used to determine the comparative filling ratio values.