Lead Inventors: Alan C. West, PhD. and Mark Willey, PhD.
Electrolyte Component Screening for Inorganic Metal Finishing Require Improved Speed and Cost Efficiencies
The composition of electrolyte baths used in inorganic metal finishing (e.g. electroplating and chemical etching) has a great impact on product quality (e.g. bonding, corrosion and wear resistance) and rate of deposition or etching. However, electrolyte components are traditionally screened one at a time, making optimization of electrolyte baths expensive and time-consuming. In addition, electrolyte baths for metal plating and etching are often environmental and health hazards, driving the need to reduce consumption of these chemicals. Consequently, there is a need for screening plating and etching bath compositions in a rapid, parallel, and cost-effective manner.
Microfluidic System for Screening Electrolyte Bath Compositions Reduce Time, Cost, Chemicals Used
This technology describes a microfluidic system and methods for screening electrolyte bath compositions for their effect (during metal and alloy deposition and etching processes) on substrates. The system and methods utilize screening devices with microfluidic channels in parallel, mechanisms for easily attaching and detaching substrates onto the devices, controlled movement of fluids, and electrochemical control or characterizing of plating and etching processes. The screening device allows the investigation of multiple electrolyte bath compositions in a single test setup, which may reduce the time, cost, and amount of chemicals and material required for optimization.
Applications:
• Optimizing electrolyte bath compositions for electroplating, electroless plating, electrochemical etching, chemical etching, and electropolishing of metals and alloys
Advantages:
• Rapid due to simultaneous testing of multiple electrolyte bath compositions
• Cost-effective due to simultaneous analysis and miniaturization (which reduces amount of material and chemicals needed)
• Reduces occupational and environmental hazards due to reduction of generated chemical and material waste
Patent Status: International patent application
(WO/2008/070786)
Publications: Willey and West,
""Microfluidic Studies of Adsorption and Desorption of Polyethylene Glycol during Copper Electrodeposition,"" J. Electrochem. Soc., 153, C728 (2006)
Willey and West,
""A Microfluidic Device to Measure Electrode Response to Changes in Electrolyte Composition,"" Electrochemical and Solid State Letters, 9, E17 (2006)
Licensing Status: Available for Licensing and Sponsored Research Support