Electrochemical micromachining of titanium through a laser patterned oxidefilm

Selective dissolution of titanium through a laser patterned oxide film has been achieved in a 3 M sulfuric acid-methanol electrolyte. The 250 nm thick oxide film was formed anodically on a flat titanium surface in 0.5 M sulfu ric acid. The patterning of the film was obtained by local irradiation usin g a long pulse XeCl eximer laser. Electrochemical dissolution at irradiated lines on the oxide film yielded well-defined grooves comparable to those r esulting from electrochemical micromachining through a photoresist mask. Th e described process permits electrochemical micromachining of titanium with out photoresist and thus can lead to new applications of this technique. (C ) 2001 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.