This is for “research”. We are fabricating micro coils on silicon and glass wafers. Basically, evaporate gold, then spin-on PDMS (photoresist), then pattern it – say, 100micron long 10 micron wide trenches. And then plate these trenches with (trying different materials… maybe will be something else in the end):

1. copper
2. nickel
3. cobalt
4. cobalt alloys

 

these are all 2” wafers – will never go bigger than that.

 

Adhesion is important… if you ask me, very important… but not necessarily at this stage… right now I am just trying to understand what the heck am I doing J

 

Lifetime? Few days will do it for now. Theoretically, in the end I will coat whatever I will make with Teflon so lifetime will be as good as adhesion.

 

Thanks a million.

 

By the way, right now I’m talking to TekNu for a wave-sequencing power supply, Atotech for chemicals (acid-copper plating solution for now), and I’ll make my plating cell out of a 100ml beaker. Does that make sense?

 

I’m looking for a link of the type “electroplating for dummies” or “learn how to electroplate in 15 minutes” J I have a test power supply that will be in my hands in exactly 2 weeks and I need to have everything ready by then. I need to have some (but little is enough) understanding what I am doing.

 

Thank you very much!!!

 

-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Joe Fjelstad
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2003 4:15 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [TN] electroplating newbie

 

Hello Gregory,

There are a number of potential solutions but you need to answer a few questions before a good answer can be arrived at.

How big is your part? What is/are the material(s) you wish to plate? How thick? How important is adhesion? What is the use environment? What lifetime do you expect?

Kind regards,
Joe