Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.p.

Yusua Agabus

Patricia A Beck

Ramesh S/o Govinda Raju

Ming-Li Tan

Low cost methods for fabricating microneedles are disclosed. According to one embodiment, the fabrication method includes the steps of: providing a substrate; forming a metal-containing seed layer on the top surface of the substrate; forming a nonconductive pattern on a portion of the seed layer; plating a first metal on the seed layer and over the edge of the nonconductive pattern to create a micromold with an opening that exposes a portion of the nonconductive pattern; plating a second metal onto the micromold to form a microneedle in the opening; separating the micromold with the microneedle formed therein from the seed layer and the nonconductive pattern; and selectively etching the micromold so as to release the microneedle. In another embodiment, the micromold is not required. The method according to this embodiment includes: forming a recess with an apex in a substrate; forming a seed layer on the substrate; forming a nonconductive pattern on a portion of the seed layer that is on a sidewall surface of the recess; plating an electrically conductive material over the seed layer and over the edge of the nonconductive pattern to form a plated layer with an opening that exposes a portion of the nonconductive pattern; and separating the plated layer from the seed layer and the nonconductive pattern to release a hollow microneedle with an offset opening.

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Singapore, Singapore

Yusua Agabus