The project is aimed to develop and apply a nozzle array for the scale-up fabrication of high density and high aspect ratio metal electrode arrays. The development is based on a meniscus-confined electrodeposition principle that we have recently introduced and applied in ?direct writing? a variety of 3-D metal micro and nanostructures in an ambient environment, including high aspect ratio out-of-plane metal wires, submicron electrical interconnects, and curved and coiled micro/nanostructures.
By scaling up the manufacturing process, the proposed development is positioned to provide a leap-forward advance in capabilities for manufacturing 3-D microscale and nanoscale metal structures with unprecedented dimensional and shape controls, all in an ambient environment and in a direct-write means. The developed processes will be highly attractive to microelectronics industry and device packaging industry where this technology offers a brand new way of fabricating 3-D high density electrical interconnects with microscale and even nanoscale feature sizes while significantly simplifies the fabrication process, greatly expands the design flexibility, considerably reduces the size and ultimately provides great cost savings. The methods and technologies developed in this project are also appealing subjects for the education of students and the public, and will be broadly integrated into various educational programs to effectively train the next generation work force and educate the public the benefit of scientific advancement.
