I've tested an early prototype of the equipment to fix a resistor in place on a test circuit. While I haven't managed to, the voltage readings indicated that copper did indeed grow inside the channel, just too slowly for now (I only used a 5V gradient). I also identified other issues:
- Bath resistance increases over time on narrow channels like this, probably due to anion depletion at the cathode. Periodically replacing the bath there with solution at the anode restores conductivity.
- Fluid volume at the cathode is too low, a larger reservoir would act as a
buffer to provide more anions and reduce purge frequency. - Copper at the anode eventually chips off, and the small pieces of copper can get into the channel.
- Capillary forces are important at this scale, must take into account.
Right now I'm building a better tool, that offers 230 V pulsed electroplating (yes, just some freshly-rectified AC straight out of the wall), smarter monitoring and more control over bath flow, as well as a modular design that can be simply plugged into the piece.
Discussions
Become a Hackaday.io Member
Create an account to leave a comment. Already have an account? Log In.