Date of Award

2006

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Materials Science and Engineering (MMatSE)

Department

Mathematical Sciences

First Advisor

Yousef Haik

Second Advisor

Dr. Ra'a Ahmed Said

Third Advisor

Mousa I Hussein

Abstract

Localized Electro-Deposition (LED) is now highly receiving scientists and researchers attention for its advantages over conventional fabrication techniques. These advantages include simplicity of the setup thus reducing the overall fabrication cost, capability of producing 2D and 3D high aspect ratio microstructures and its ability to fabricate microstructures from various raw materials. Efforts now are taking place in order to standardize the fabrication by LED to develop a commercial setup that is capable of producing complex microstructures which, in tum, can be integrated in different applications including microelectronics, microelectrochemical systems (MEMS) and sensors applications. The standardization process is performed by studying and optimizing all the parameters that control the LED process. In order to expand the current LED capabilities, this research thesis is investigating the feasibility of fabricating array of microstructures. These micro scale structures can be used as antenna arrays in ultra high frequency applications and also can be integrated in mechanical micro systems.

In this work, two LED fabrication algorithms were introduced and compared to produce arrays of micro scale features: serial deposition and parallel deposition. In serial deposition algorithm, the conventional single tip microelectrode is used to realize high aspect ratio array elements by fabricating them serially (i.e. element by element), while in the parallel deposition algorithm; the same array is fabricated by using multi-tip array microelectrode where the array microstructures are fabricated simultaneously (all array elements grow in parallel fashion). The effects of microelectrode tip material, tip geometry and the used electrolyte (raw material) on the LED fabrication process are also presented.

The new fabrication technology tested in this work enables the advancement of antennas for the upper GHz range. By implementing the parallel deposition technique outlined in this thesis, the resolution and repeatability will be enhanced and the required fabrication time of a micro system will be shorter thus enhancing the overall production rate.

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