engleski

Structuring of conductive metal layers by EFAD method

Micro- and nanostructured conductive metal layers possess unusual optical properties (important in the field of photonics), show potential as biosensors and catalysts, and could be widely used in other branches of nanotechnology [1]. Such materials are produced by techniques (such as photolithography) that usually require expensive equipment and the production of patterned metal layers is very slow and limited to a small surface area. Therefore, we want to present an EFAD (Electric Field Assisted Dissolution), a simple, inexpensive and fast technique for structuring the conductive metal layers under the simultaneous influence of the external potential and moderately elevated temperature [2]. The method does not require expensive devices ; two electrodes (cathode and a structured anode) are required, a high voltage power supply and an oven and the process itself last only for a few hours. The EFAD technique allows us the structuring of large surface areas (limited only with the size of the oven) of conductive metal layers, and the structured anode can be used at least 10 times without visible depletion. In this way, the conductive layers of transition metals, such as copper, gold or silver, can be structured [3]. Herein we present an example of the structuring of the silver layer on a glass substrate.

EFAD ; electrochemistry ; MIFs

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