Microstructured glass surfaces: FBK researches new production technologies
Glass is transparent, chemically resistant, thermally stable and electrically insulating - making it a key material for numerous future technologies. At the same time, the high-precision processing of glass in the micrometer range is still a major challenge today. This is precisely where the new research project "Microstructuring and surface functionalization of glass substrate materials", or MOGS for short, at RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau comes in. The project is being financed by state funds and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) with a total budget of around 1.5 million euros. The state is investing around 825,000 euros and the EU around 600,000 euros. The RPTU is contributing its own funds in the amount of 75,000 euros.
"As the Ministry of Economic Affairs, we are making our contribution to promoting innovation in Rhineland-Palatinate. The RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau conducts important research for our companies. With new, innovative solutions and close cooperation, business and science ensure innovation, growth, jobs and added value in the state. As the state government, we are very happy to support this," said Economics Minister Daniela Schmitt at the start of the project at the beginning of May.
The project focuses on the question of how glass surfaces can be structured, functionalized and combined with other materials with high precision. To this end, researchers at RPTU are investigating various high-tech manufacturing processes: Micro-grinding, micro-laser processing and 3D micro-printing. The aim is not only to further develop these processes individually, but also to combine them into interlocking process chains. The aim is to create new types of microstructured components that integrate optical or electronic functions or heat conduction and fluid control directly on or in glass, for example.
"Glass has great application potential - from precision optics to biosensors and power electronics. To achieve this, the material must be able to be processed reliably, precisely and economically," says Prof. Jan Aurich, project manager at RPTU. "With MOGS, we want to lay the foundations for making better use of glass as a functional substrate for new industrial applications."
The aim of micro-grinding is to process glass substrates in such a way that defect-free structures with high surface quality are created. Microlaser processing makes it possible to create even finer structures in glass. 3D microprinting also opens up the possibility of integrating metallic conductor paths, sensors or microstructures directly onto or into glass substrates.
"The strength of the project lies in the combination of the processes," explains Dr. Julian Hering-Stratemeier, project manager alongside Prof. Aurich, from the Optical Technologies and Photonics working group at RPTU. "The combination of micro-grinding, micro-laser processing and 3D micro-printing can create structures that would be almost impossible to realize with a single process."
Possible applications range from anti-reflective or water-repellent glass surfaces to small systems that control liquids or enable complete mini-labs on a chip to glass-metal hybrids for electronics, sensor technology or high-performance antennas.
The project will run for 36 months. It is supported by an industrial project advisory board with companies from Rhineland-Palatinate, including Schott AG, Philipp Persch Nachf. KG - Diamantwerkzeuge, K.-H. Müller Präzisionswerkzeuge GmbH and Xiton Photonics GmbH. The advisory board ensures that industrial requirements are incorporated into the research at an early stage and that the project results are evaluated in a practical manner.
In addition to scientific publications and conference contributions, an active transfer to industry is planned. Among other things, workshops and information events are planned. Finally, the results will also be incorporated into teaching. In this way, the project not only creates new technological foundations, but also contributes to strengthening Rhineland-Palatinate as a location for research and innovation.
