A new microfabrication technology capable of electro-depositing truly three dimensional metal micro-structures is presented. The method, known as Spatially Constrained Micro-Electro-Deposition or SCMED, is being developed as part of an effort to provide sub-millimeter sized tools and extra degrees of freedom to existing tele-operated micro-surgical robots and micro-manipulators. These applications require fabrication processes capable of producing three dimensional structures, with sub-micrometer spatial resolution, using a range of materials and at reasonable rates. Current micro-fabrication technology is,unable to meet these requirements. The three dimensional requirement is particularly relevant given the present dependence on essentially two dimensional micro-fabrication methods derived from micro-electronics. / In SCMED, electrodeposition is localized by placing a sharp tipped electrode in a plating substrate, and applying a voltage. Structures are built by moving the electrode appropriately with respect to the substrate. / Electrochemical theory, including mass transport to regions of localized field, is discussed, and a model of deposition profile presented. SCMED is shown to be capable of producing three dimensional polycrystalline nickel structures on the micrometer scale, including a multi-coiled helical spring. Vertical deposition rates of 6 $ mu m$/s are observed, two orders of magnitude greater than those of conventional electrodeposition. / The process can potentially deposit and etch a wide rage of materials including pure metal, alloys and polymers with sub-micrometer resolution, thereby overcoming important limitations or current technology.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.22661 |
| Date | January 1994 |
| Creators | Madden, John David Wyndham |
| Contributors | Hunter, Ian W. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Engineering (Department of Biomedical Engineering.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001447552, proquestno: MM05460, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
Page generated in 0.0016 seconds