The Effects of Chemical (isotropic) and Anisotropic Etching Processes on the Roughening of Nanocomposite Substrates

Simulation results of roughening of nanocomposite materials during both isotropic and anisotropic etching processes based on the level set method are presented. It is clearly shown that the presence of two phases with different etching rates affects the development of surface roughness and that some roughness characteristics obey simple scaling laws. In addition, certain scaling laws that describe the time dependence of the root mean square （rms） roughness w for various etching processes and different characteristics of the nanocomposite materials are determined.

Fabrication of Diamond Microstructures by Using Dry and Wet Etching Methods

Diamond films have great potential for micro-electro-mechanical system（MEMS） application.For device realization,precise patterning of diamond films at micrometer scale is indispensable.In this paper,simple and facile methods will be demonstrated for smart patterning of diamond films,in which two etching techniques,i.e.,plasma dry etching and chemical wet etching（including isotropic-etching and anisotropic-etching） have been developed for obtaining diamond microstructures with different morphology demands.Free-standing diamond micro-gears and micro-combs were achieved as examples by using the experimental procedures.It is confirmed that as-designed diamond structures with a straight side wall and a distinct boundary can be fabricated effectively and efficiently by using such methods.

Fabrication of High-Density Out-of-Plane Microneedle Arrays with Various Heights and Diverse Cross-Sectional Shapes

Out-of-plane microneedle structures are widely used in various applications such as transcutaneous drug delivery and neural signal recording for brain machine interface.This work presents a novel but simple method to fabricate high-density silicon(Si)microneedle arrays with various heights and diverse cross-sectional shapes depending on photomask pattern designs.The proposed fabrication method is composed of a single photolithography and two subsequent deep reactive ion etching(DRIE)steps.First,a photoresist layer was patterned on a Si substrate to define areas to be etched,which will eventually determine the final location and shape of each individual microneedle.Then,the 1st DRIE step created deep trenches with a highly anisotropic etching of the Si substrate.Subsequently,the photoresist was removed for more isotropic etching;the 2nd DRIE isolated and sharpened microneedles from the predefined trench structures.Depending on diverse photomask designs,the 2nd DRIE formed arrays of microneedles that have various height distributions,as well as diverse cross-sectional shapes across the substrate.With these simple steps,high-aspect ratio microneedles were created in the high density of up to 625 microneedles mm^(-2)on a Si wafer.Insertion tests showed a small force as low as~172μN/microneedle is required for microneedle arrays to penetrate the dura mater of a mouse brain.To demonstrate a feasibility of drug delivery application,we also implemented silk microneedle arrays using molding processes.The fabrication method of the present study is expected to be broadly applicable to create microneedle structures for drug delivery,neuroprosthetic devices,and so on.

Isotropic Tuning of Electrochemical Etching forthe Nanometric Finishing of Metals

Isotropic etching polishing(IEP)based on the merging of isotropic etch pits has been proposed as a generic metal finishing approach.In this work,the tuning of the etching isotropy of various metals,which is the key to realizing the finishing effect of IEP,is studied by theoretical analysis and etching experiments.The isotropic etching of various metals can be realized through mass transfer polarization by adjusting the electrochemical parameters.The addition of sulfuric acid in the electrolyte is the most effective for tuning the isotropy of electrochemical etching.It can decrease the diffusion coefficient of metal ions,thereby increasing the resistance of mass transfer and transforming the electrochemical dissolution of metal into mass transfer polarization.In this study,the atomic and close-to-atomic scale surface finishing of various metals and alloys has been successfully achieved through isotropic etching.After etching at a current of 1.5 A for 3 min,the surface Sa roughness of TA2 is drastically reduced from 242 to 3.98 nm.After etching for 1 min at a current of 3 A,the surface Sa roughness of pure tungsten,NiTi,and CoCrNi decreases from 9.33,76.4,and 37.6 nm,respectively,to 1.16,2.01,and 2.51 nm,respectively.

Application of the Level Set Method in Three-Dimensional Simulation of the Roughening and Smoothing of Substrates in Nanotechnologies

This paper contains results of the comprehensive studies of the effect of the isotropic etching mode on roughening of the nanocomposite materials and on smoothing of the roughed nanostructure made of homogeneous materials. Three-dimensional simulation results obtained illustrate the influence of the isotropic etch process on dynamics of the roughening and smoothing of the surfaces, indicating the opposite effects of the same etch process on the surfaces made of different materials. It was shown that root mean square roughness obeys simple scaling laws during both roughening and smoothing processes. The exponential time dependences of the rms roughness have been determined.