화학공학소재연구정보센터
Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, Vol.17, No.2, 269-272, 1999
Electrochemical microprocess by scanning ion-conductance microscopy
An electrochemical microprocess method by scanning ion-conductance microscopy (SICM) has been developed to process microcircuits and microstructures on sample surfaces. A metal electrode inside an electrolyte-filled micropipette and an electrolyte-covered conducting surface are employed as the anode and the cathode, respectively. As the pipette approaches the surface, the flow of ions through the opening of the pipette tip is blocked by the surface at Short distances, thus the ion conductance decreases. A feedback system is then used to obtain a given ion conductance, and in turn to maintain a constant tip-surface gap. Due to the mechanism of electrolysis, when a de voltage is applied between the two electrodes, microstructures such as dots, lines and squares can be processed (electroplated) on the surface as the tip scans laterally over it. Similar to the resolution of SICM, the linewidth of the processed microstructures is approximately on the same order of the inner diameter (ID) of the tip. Using the micropipette with a tip of 1.5 mu m ID: we successfully processed some lines of 2.0 mu m width on an In2O3+SnO2, surface. As a future aim, the electrochemical microprocess method provides the possibility of fabricating microcircuits and microstructures with linewidth on the order of 0.1 - 1 mu m by using the micropipettes which have IDs of order 0.1 mu m.