Glass micro-structuring by electrochemical discharges

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Glass gains significance in the micro technology field with the boost in the demand of lab-on-a-chip and micro devices fabrication. Optical switches, cooling elements for electronics circuits and micro-mixers for biomedical applications are few examples demanding glass micro-machining. For these applications, glass is required to have specific properties. Hence, the need for technologies able to machine glass, with specific surface properties, has become a necessity. Our study of the application of electrochemical discharges (ECD) to glass micro-machining (Spark Assisted Chemical Engraving; SACE) allowed reaching a degree of maturity of this technology bringing commercialisation in a very near future for vias drillings in micro-fluidic chips. But work on the optimisation of SACE (precision, repeatability, enhance material removal rate) is still needed. Process control algorithms are still missing. Addressing successfully these issues will allow SACE to enter applications requiring very high precision micro-drilling, such a micro-nozzle fabrication. To further open fields of applications to SACE, the potential of ECD have to be exploited better. ECD do not only carry heat (used to promote local glass etching), but electrons as well. It is therefore possible to take advantage of localised electrochemical reactions occurring in the vicinity of these discharges. This idea was exploited by us in developing a route for nanoparticle synthesis by ECD. The logical next step is to combine the knowledge of both fields in order to develop a new process to modify locally glass properties (e.g. color, texture, mechanical strength of the glass surface) by doping glass with metal nano-clusters. Local glass modification by ECD will open new applications for SACE for the micro-fabrication of micro-fluidic, bio-medical or optical devices.