Selective electrodeposition of copper on stainless steel using laser irradiation

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel selective metal deposition process that uses a combination of laser irradiation and electrodeposition. Via the selective electrodeposition using laser irradiation (SELI) process, metal can be deposited selectively on a metal surface without a special mask, which is in contrast to conventional deposition processes that routinely require a metal mask or a photo-resist. The SELI process consists of three steps: laser irradiation, electrodeposition, and ultrasonic vibration cleaning. In the course of experimentation, a recast layer was formed via the laser irradiation process, which acts as the sacrificial layer in the SELI process. The sacrificial layer was removed after the cleaning step. The separation of the sacrificial layer was due to the hydrogen evolution effects of the hydrogen embrittlement via the hydrogen bubbles and the hydrogen absorption. The results were observed via focused ion beam (FIB) analysis of the cross-sectional images. Electron probe X-ray micro-analyzer (EPMA) analysis was used to detect the surface components. Through the SELI process, selective copper deposition was successfully performed with various micro-patterns of the approximately 4μm thick deposited copper.