Budget-friendly nanofabrication: Porous structures from high voltage DC and chemical etching

Anodic materials provide a versatile platform for nanotechnological developments due to their customizable properties. Our work presents a cost-effective, user-friendly approach for fabricating high-quality anodic materials through hard anodization (HA), which is one of the most widely used techniques for efficiently fabricating anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) platforms in short times by applying high voltage. We developed a configurable power supply with a simple topology that can reach up to 190 V, which management was achieved by a basic processor board. In addition, we implemented a monitoring system for acquiring process anodization parameters. This approach significantly reduces the cost barrier associated with traditional methods, like induction-based power supplies. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our strategic experimental setup, we have successfully fabricated AAO templates to be used as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Thus, our low-cost modular friendly experimental setup offers a promising avenue for creating well-defined nanostructures with broad applications in nanotechnology.