Localized electrochemical deposition: the growth behavior of nickel microcolumns

SweeHock Yeo; Jian Huei Choo; Kwan Seng Yip

doi:10.1117/12.396421

25 August 2000 Localized electrochemical deposition: the growth behavior of nickel microcolumns

SweeHock Yeo, Jian Huei Choo, Kwan Seng Yip

Proceedings Volume 4174, Micromachining and Microfabrication Process Technology VI; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.396421
Event: Micromachining and Microfabrication, 2000, Santa Clara, CA, United States

Abstract

The development of MEMS has initiated the birth of various types of microfabrication processes. These processes in turn serve as a platform for the invention of newer improve3d processes with increasingly higher fabrication resolution. This paper reports on an investigative study on the growth characteristics of nickel micro-columns grown by localized electrochemical deposition - a new truly 3D micro-rapid prototyping and direct-fabrication process capable of producing extremely high aspect ratio microstructures. Nickel columns were electrochemically formed on copper cathodes form a nickel sulfamate plating solution using a non-soluble microelectrode as the anode. Initial experiments showed that zero, partial or complete growths of the columns were revealed, depending on the vertical traverse speed of the microelectrode away form the horizontal copper surface - the preferred traverse speed profile being a decreasing quadratic function that starts form a low traverse speed value followed by a constant function at a higher speed value with respect to time. Further work conducted based on this finding achieve da constant growth rate with an analog closed-loop feedback control of the process, which produced columns with more even dimensions. Understanding of the growth phenomena will allow increases in the rate of deposition and better dimensional control of 3D micro- components grown via localized electrochemical deposition.

Citation Download Citation

SweeHock Yeo, Jian Huei Choo, and Kwan Seng Yip "Localized electrochemical deposition: the growth behavior of nickel microcolumns", Proc. SPIE 4174, Micromachining and Microfabrication Process Technology VI, (25 August 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.396421

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