Electrochemical 3D Printing of Ni-Mn and Ni-Co alloy with FluidFM

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the use of FluidFM for electrochemical 3D printing of Ni-Mn and Ni-Co alloys, achieving dense microstructures with uniform composition at nanoscale resolution.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of FluidFM for local electrochemical alloy printing beyond copper, with optimized parameters for Ni-based alloys.

Findings

Successful fabrication of Ni-Mn and Ni-Co microstructures

Achieved high-density microstructures with uniform alloy distribution

Printed features with rates of 50-60 nm/s

Abstract

Additive manufacturing can realize almost any designed geometry, enabling the fabrication of innovative products for advanced applications. Local electrochemical plating is a powerful approach for additive manufacturing of metal microstructures; however, previously reported data have been mostly obtained with copper, and only a few cases have been reported with other elements. In this study, we assessed the ability of fluidic force microscopy (FluidFM) to produce Ni-Mn and Ni-Co alloy structures. Once the optimal deposition potential window was determined, pillars with relatively smooth surfaces were obtained. The printing process was characterized by printing rates in the range of 50-60 nm/s. Cross-sections exposed by focused ion beam showed highly dense microstructures, while the corresponding face scan with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) spectra revealed a uniform distribution of alloy components.