A Methodology for Evaluating the Technological Maturity of Micro and Nano Fabrication Processes
Abstract
Given that Micro and Nano Technologies (MNTs) is
still an emerging field, it is important to adopt a tool for evaluating
the maturity of MNT-based products and the production processes enabling
their manufacture. In particular, as a risk assessment tool, it could
help both the pace of technological adoption and the successful
exploitation of these technologies. In this context, the objective of
the research presented is to describe a methodology for assessing the
maturity of MNTs. The paper also demonstrates the implementation of this
methodology for a set of micro and nano manufacturing processes employed
for tooling and replication. It could also be easily implemented to
evaluate the maturity of other production processes for MNT-based
products such as micro assembly technologies. The reported study was
conducted in collaboration with two networks funded through the Sixth
Framework Programme (FP6) of the European Commission (EC), namely the
Multi-Material Micro Manufacture (4M) Network of Excellence (NoE) and
the μ SAPIENT Coordination Action (CA). By analysing data from R&D
projects carried out in the field of MNTs by partner organisations in
these two consortia, the maturity phases targeted by each project could
be evaluated and as a result, the maturity profiles for given
technologies could be extracted. An important output of this study is to
help inform the industry, the global research community and policy
makers about the current level of maturity reached by the MNTs which are
developed in R&D projects carried out at European level and in
particular, within the 4M NoE and the μ SAPIENT CA.
Origin | Files produced by the author(s) |
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