Micro/Nano Manufacturing

Micro- and nano-scale manufacturing has been the subject of ever more research and industrial focus over the past 10 years. Traditional lithography-based technology forms the basis of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) manufacturing but also precision manufacturing technologies have been developed to cover micro-scale dimensions and accuracies. Furthermore these fundamentally different technology platforms are currently combined in order to exploit the strengths of both platforms. One example is the use of lithography-based technologies to establish nanostructures that are subsequently transferred to 3D geometries via injection molding. Manufacturing processes at the micro-scale are the key-enabling technologies to bridge the gap between the nano- and the macro-worlds to increase the accuracy of micro/nano-precision production technologies and to integrate different dimensional scales in mass-manufacturing processes. Accordingly this Special Issue seeks to showcase research papers short communications and review articles that focus on novel methodological developments in micro- and nano-scale manufacturing i.e. on novel process chains including process optimization quality assurance approaches and metrology.