Effects of probe downforce and bias voltage on electrochemical atomic force microscopy nanomachining of copper materials

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This study applied electrochemical atomic force microscopy in a liquid environment. Copper was used to conduct an experiment involving nanoscale electrochemically assisted machining. Experimental conditions (e.g., number of scans, bias voltage, and electrolyte formula) were adjusted to explore the resulting phenomena and effects on nanoscale electrochemically assisted machining. The experiments showed that increasing downforce in air did not significantly influence the Cu specimen. In 0.01M phosphoric acid, applying a small amount of downforce and bias voltage resulted in a significant machining outcome. Optimal machining efficiency was achieved in the presence of both 0.01M H3PO4 and bias voltage of 0.5 V. Moreover, after machining, a small amount of oxide was scraped off the Cu surface and adhered to the probe.