Silicon Mold Isolation for Alkali Metal Wax Packet Batch Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing micro alkali metal wax packets for atomic clocks face challenges in controllability, material waste, and high production costs due to poor isolation between wax packet and corrosion release areas, leading to inefficiencies in batch production and reduced yield.
Innovation Solution
A mold assembly with a silicon substrate featuring mold isolators, wax packet receiving cavities, and corrosion release holes allows for effective isolation and reuse, enabling precise control over wax packet formation and separation, reducing material waste and improving batch production efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If conventional packaging methods are used without proper isolation, then production cost is reduced, but material waste increases and production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into distinct functional regions: a wax packet receiving cavity region and a corrosion release hole region, separated by isolation structures. This segmentation prevents wax material from contaminating the corrosion release holes while maintaining efficient batch production across multiple cavities in the same mold.
Solution Approach 2:
The corrosion release holes are extracted and positioned in a separate isolated region away from the wax packet receiving cavities. This extraction eliminates the harmful interaction between molten wax and corrosion release pathways, preventing material waste and mold damage while maintaining production efficiency.
2Device complexity
If corrosion release holes are positioned close to wax packet cavities, then mold structure is simplified, but wax material blocks release holes causing production failures
Solution Approach 1:
The mold structure is segmented into isolated functional zones with clear spatial separation between wax packet receiving cavities and corrosion release holes. Isolation walls or moats are introduced to maintain this separation, ensuring reliable operation while managing structural complexity through systematic design.
Solution Approach 2:
Isolation structures such as walls or moats are introduced as intermediary elements between the wax packet cavities and corrosion release holes. These intermediaries physically block wax material from reaching the release holes while maintaining the structural integrity and functionality of both regions.
3Reliability
If isolation structures are added to separate wax and corrosion areas, then production reliability is improved, but mold complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is systematically segmented into functional regions with isolation structures that are integrated into the overall design. This segmentation achieves reliable separation of wax and corrosion areas while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized isolation features that can be implemented using conventional mold-making techniques.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The mold assembly facilitates the production of uniform, high-quality alkali metal wax packets with improved controllability and reduced costs, enhancing the reliability and consistency of chip-scale atomic clock devices by allowing for efficient batch fabrication and reuse of the mold.
Implementation Method 1
corrosion release holes configured to allow a corrosive liquid pass through to corrode and dissolve the release sacrificial layer
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a mold assembly for making alkali metal wax packets, a method for preparing same, and a method for using same. The mold assembly comprises a silicon substrate (10), the silicon substrate (10) comprising a mold isolator (11) at the edge of the silicon substrate (10) and a silicon substrate central portion (18). The upper surface of the silicon substrate central portion (18) is indented to form a plurality of wax packet receiving cavities (12). A cavity isolator (13) locates between adjacent wax packet receiving cavities (12). A release sacrificial layer (15) is formed on the upper surface of the silicon substrate (10), and a paraffin layer (16) is formed on the upper surface of the release sacrificial layer (15) away from the silicon substrate (10). Cavities (121) for containing alkali metal are formed on a side of the paraffin layer (16) away from the release sacrificial layer (15). The mold isolator (11) is provided with corrosion release holes (14). The mold assembly can reliably and controllably achieve batch production of uniform alkali metal wax packet arrays and is completely compatible with MEMS and microelectronic processes, with simple processes that can be easily implemented and high operability. The wax packet mold assembly can be reused, such that wasting of raw materials can be avoided, and the cost of batch production can be effectively reduced.