This Journal contains the technical papers and presentations from the PCMI Education Webinar Series and Fall Technical Conference held in Phoenix, Arizona, US, from October 8 - 12, 2022. Educational Webinar Series Presentation Building, Improving, and Maintaining an Efficient Cleanroom Webinar Roger Zaccour | Cleanroom Solutions Specialist | Stark Tech | US Fall  2022 Technical [...]

This Journal contains the technical papers and presentations from the PCMI Educational Webinar Series and Networking and Educational Forum

• Pre-Treatment – Preparation of Metal Surface  – Sean Hill, Project Manager, Eternal Technology Corporation, US 14
• 15 Ways to Protect Your Business From Cyber Attack – Tim Shea, President and Co-founder, Alpha NetSolutions 31
• Maintenance Tips  For PCM Etching Equipment  – 

This paper reviews an aspect of photoetching that is rarely discussed. There is an increasing need in manufacturing and micromachining applications to produce specific types of surfaces for either aesthetic or functional requirements including:

• non-directional, light-scattering, matt surface finishes for visual contrast enhancement in a half-etch,
• smooth surface finishes for optical reflection, laminar flow in microfluidic devices and particle filtration applications,
• very rough textured surfaces for abrasive applications and
• textured surfaces to reduce friction and wear for tribological requirements.

The process of nickel electroforming is becoming increasingly important in the manufacture of MST products, as it has the potential to replicate complex geometries with extremely high fidelity. Electroforming of nickel uses multi-component electrolyte formulations in order to maximise desirable product properties. In addition to nickel sulphamate (the major electrolyte component), formulation additives can also comprise nickel chloride (to increase nickel anode dissolution), sulphamic acid (to control pH), boric acid (to act as a pH buffer), hardening/levelling agents (to increase deposit hardness and lustre) and wetting agents (to aid surface wetting and thus prevent gas bubbles and void formation).

Emeritus Professor of Microengineering, Cranfield University, UK

This paper was presented at the PCMI Conference, Chantilly, France on 20th May 2019

As nickel-containing metals are dissolved into ferric chloride etchant, the concentration of nickel ion builds up in solution even when the etchant is being regenerated. Above a critical dissolved nickel concentration, an unacceptable rough surface finish will become apparent in any half-etch areas of parts leading to product rejection and increased costs.