Issue 3, 2008

Rapid sacrificial layer etching for the fabrication of nanochannels with integrated metal electrodes

Abstract

We present a rapid etch method to surface-micromachine nanochannels with integrated noble metal electrodes using a single metal sacrificial layer. The method is based on the galvanic coupling of a chromium sacrificial layer with gold electrodes, which results in a 10-fold increase in etch rate with respect to conventional single metal etching. The etch process is investigated and characterized by optical and electrochemical measurements, leading to a theoretical explanation of the observed etch rate based on mass transport. Using this explanation we derive some generic design rules for nanochannel fabrication employing sacrificial metal etching.

Graphical abstract: Rapid sacrificial layer etching for the fabrication of nanochannels with integrated metal electrodes

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
24 Oct 2007
Accepted
14 Dec 2007
First published
15 Jan 2008

Lab Chip, 2008,8, 402-407

Rapid sacrificial layer etching for the fabrication of nanochannels with integrated metal electrodes

W. Sparreboom, J. C. T. Eijkel, J. Bomer and A. van den Berg, Lab Chip, 2008, 8, 402 DOI: 10.1039/B716382G

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