Effect of fabrication factors on performance of screen-printed/laser micromachined electrochemical nanovials

Electrochemical vials with volumes of 2.6 nL and embedded working and refer ence electrodes have been fabricated by coupling screen-printing (thick-fil m) technology with excimer laser micromachining. The processing parameters were varied to determine their effect on the resulting nanocell. The fabric ated systems were analyzed by resistance measurements, surface profilometry , and SEM. The performance of the electrochemical nanovials was evaluated b y cyclic voltammetry using hexaamineruthenium(III) chloride. The current li mits of thick-film fabrication were approached in creating very small nanoc ells using the methods described. The functioning small Volume electrochemi cal cells gave voltammograms that were either peak-shaped or sigmoidal. The shape of the voltammogram corresponded to the electrochemical surface area determined by chronoamperometry.