LIGA

right|thumb|The X-ray LIGA process was originally developed at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Germany, to produce nozzles for Enriched uranium#Aerodynamic processes|uranium enrichment. thumb|SEM picture of a polymer LIGA structure made by molding. Smallest polymer width is 6 μm; polymer height is 120 μm, the aspect ratio is, therefore, 20. thumb|SEM picture of a polymer LIGA structure made by x-ray lithography. Step length is 3 μm, step height is 0.7 μm. The pattern extends downwards towards the substrate for 150 μm leading to an aspect ratio of the contour of 200. LIGA is a fabrication technology used to create high-aspect-ratio microstructures. The term is a German acronym for  – lithography, electroplating, and molding.

==Overview== LIGA consists of three main processing steps: lithography, electroplating, and molding. There are two main LIGA-fabrication technologies: X-Ray LIGA, which uses X-rays produced by a synchrotron to create high-aspect-ratio structures, and UV LIGA, a more accessible method which uses ultraviolet light to create structures with relatively low aspect ratios.