Abstract: Patterned dies made of non-conductive resins may be equipped with integrated electrodes in different manners. It is proved to be difficult to produce high-quality electrodes especially in microstructured dies. A patterned plastic die arranged on a carrier plate is filled with a solution of a metal compound. This solution is irradiated through the carrier plate from the back side of the carrier plate using laser light, ultraviolet light or X-rays. The metal compound is transformed in the immediate vicinity of the base of the structure and a metal layer is deposited on the base of the structure forming the electrodes. The method is suitable for a base of the structure forming a coherent or a non-coherent area. Plastic dies containing integrated electrodes are used for electroless or electrophoretic deposition of materials and for electroplating, in all cases starting from the integrated electrodes, and for analytical methods.

Abstract: Gases can be selectively detected by utilization of an infrared (IR) absorption photometer via their specific absorption in the IR range. Known instruments are generally rather expensive, are of considerable size, require careful treatment and as a rule can be operated by skilled personnel only. The microstructured IR absorption photometer of the present invention is developed for (quasi-) continuously controlling a gaseous stream, the photometer being a single-piece shaped part manufactured as a microstructured body. The photometer is compact and robust, suitable for portable instruments and can be manufactured at low cost and in large numbers. The photometer can be made of metal and can be used even at an increased temperature. A flashlight lamp serves as an IR radiation source and a lead selenide receiver as an IR radiation receiver. The pulse repetition frequency of the flashlight lamp is from 0.01 Hz to 10 Hz. The pulse interval preferably amounts to more than a thousand times the pulse duration.