Abstract:
Micro-electroforming is a key step of terahertz all-metal devices microfabrication, in which metal-ion deposit uniformity determines the grating's quality.Meanwhile, the deposit uniformity is influenced by the distribution of current density near the cathode.The current density distribution in copper micro-electroforming is investigated by method of FIT (finite integration technique) simulation analysis and experimental verification.By adding aglass baffle panel between anode and cathode, the current density uniformity can be improved.The effect of the distance between panel and cathode and the size of hole in baffle panel on current density uniformity is analyzed thoroughly.The nearer the panel is to the cathode, the more uniform the current density of the cathode, which can significantly improve the uniformity of deposit in microstructure.According to the simulation results, a baffle panel with a 2.5 cm×2.5 cm gap is fabricated and placed between the anode and the cathode with a 100 mm distance from the cathode.Then electroforming was carried out and a better quality metal layer with finer and more uniform grain was gained, which proved the simulation results.