Fabrication of cascade micropattern by maskless electrochemical micromachining

Abstract

Cascade micropattern is the basic complex textured surface, which is generated on different microdevices for various advanced micromanufacturing applications. This paper highlights the experimental analysis into generation of cascade micropatterns on stainless steel (SS 304) by maskless electrochemical micromachining (EMM). The experimental setup consisting of electrode fixtures, EMM cell, power supply unit and electrolyte flow system is indigenously developed for fabrication of cascade micropatterns inexpensively without fabrication of one by one complex microfeature of cascade profile by a single microtool. One textured tool with SU-8 2150 mask can fabricate more than 25 cascade micropatterns. Influences of EMM parameters such as electrolyte concentration, electrolyte flow rate, pulse frequency and inter electrode gap on depth, width overcut and surface roughness (Ra) are studied during generation of cascade micropattern. An attempt has also been done to analysis the micrographs of generated cascade micropattern for investigating the suitable parameter setting. This investigation will be needful and fruitful for machining of need-based cascade micropatterns on microdevices like micromixers, microactuators, microcoolers, etc.