Microsystem Technologies

, Volume 14, Issue 3, pp 379–388 | Cite as

LIGA fabrication of nanocrystalline Ni–W alloy micro specimens from ammonia-citrate bath

Technical Paper
First Online:
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Abstract

Ammonia-citrate bath has been investigated for the deposition of nano crystalline Ni–W alloy micro components using the LIGA process. First the bath stability and deposit characteristics were studied. Fabrication of micro specimens were then carried out on silicon substrates covered with novolac as well as thick PMMA resist for LIGA. Effects of different parameters like current density, nickel ion and tungsten ion concentration in the bath, deposition time etc. on the deposit characteristics and current efficiency were studied. The deposited Ni–W samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy depressive X-ray spectroscopy, light optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Results show that during a few tens of hours of deposition, ammonia loss from the covered bath used is minimal and the bath remains stable. Selection of proper bath and deposition parameters allows a window for the deposition of crack free, thick, nano crystalline nickel–tungsten alloys. Using the optimum parameters, it has been possible to fabricate Ni-12 at% W micro tensile specimens with a nominal thickness of 120 μm by the LIGA process.

Keywords

PMMA Tensile Specimen Current Efficiency Perfluoro Octane Sulfonate Electrodeposited Nickel 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Notes

Acknowledgments

One of the authors (ASMAH) would like to thank Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for a fellowship. The authors would like to thank Ms. M. Haj-Taieb for her assistance with the EDX analysis.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Mechanical, EngineeringUniversiti MalayaKuala LumpurMalaysia
  2. 2.Institut für Mikrostrukturtechnik (IMT)Forschungszentrum KarlsruheEggenstein-LeopoldshafenGermany

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