Tips for Cleaning MicroMounts and MicroMeshes
Medium (M) and Fine (F) wicks are ideal for cleaning MicroMounts.
Cut back from the widest end using a razor blade so that the diameter fits into your 0.7 mm pencil. Then dip the other end in water, a detergent solution (e.g., Alconox or PEX) or in isopropanol, and gently stroke the gold-tinted polyimide from base to tip. The key to minimizing risk of damage is to have the width of the wick's tip comparable to or larger than the polyimide width. As the wick's tip loses stiffness from use, cut back with a razor blade. In this way you can use a single wick for several cleanings.
We've also tried cotton and foam-tipped swabs, but they tend to catch and tear the polyimide.
Remember: the polyimide in MicroMounts is not a fiber like nylon, so it has less tensile strength than nylon and can be torn much more easily. Be gentle!
Blow-drying MicroMounts
You can used a compressed air gun or a spray can duster to dry MicroMounts and remove dust. But be careful: Never hold the tip of the sprayer closer than 2 inches from the mount, and be sure the pressure in your compressed gas line is 20 psi or less. Some labs (for example, Mitegen's assembly facility) have compressed gas lines at 100 psi, and a full blast can blow the tops off your mounts- especially those with 300-600 μm apertures. The same thing can happen if you blow a few millimeters away using a canned duster with the extension tube attached.