Title: Growth of nano-wrinkles on photoresist-derived carbon microelectrode array

Authors: Hu Long; Tielin Shi; Shuang Xi; Fengshun Wu; Qi Xia; Xiaoping Li; Zirong Tang

Addresses: State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China ' State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China ' State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China ' Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China ' State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China ' Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China ' State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China

Abstract: A novel fabrication method for integrating nano-wrinkles to carbon microelectromechanical systems (C-MEMS) posts on a silicon substrate is proposed in this paper. In the fabrication of carbon microelectrode array, SU-8, a negative photoresist is patterned by photolithography and subsequently pyrolysed at high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment. In this process, the SU-8 posts are slowly converted to the desired carbon posts with properties resembling those of glassy carbon, and the carbon posts have shrinkage in both vertical and radial directions. As we deposit a thin layer (nanoscale order) of carbon before pyrolysis, nano-wrinkle patterns can be generated with the shrinking of the photoresist due to a large difference in the elastic moduli as well as high compressive stress. The nano-wrinkles generated in carbon films can greatly enlarge specific surface area, which significantly enhances the electrochemical performance compared to the blank posts. Since the carbon nano-wrinkles have the same nature as the carbon posts, the stability and biological compatibility of nano-wrinkles integrated microelectrodes are greatly enhanced.

Keywords: nanowrinkles; carbon MEMS; C-MEMS; microelectromechanical systems; pyrolysis; carbonisation; photoresist shrinkage; nanotechnology; carbon microelectrodes; nanowrinkle patterns; carbon films.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2014.060584

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2014 Vol.11 No.5/6/7/8, pp.616 - 625

Published online: 15 Dec 2014 *

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