Fabrication of Micromechanical Structures of Titania and Titanium with Electrophoretic Deposition

Abstract

This paper describes the fabrication of thick films of titanium and oxides of titanium (i.e., titania) for micromachined structures. In many applications, such as high strength-to-weight ratio and biocompatibility, it is desirable to deposit films of these materials many tens of microns in thickness. However, typical deposition approaches to these materials, such as sputtering and evaporation, are limited in the ultimate thickness that can be achieved, while unfavorable electrochemical properties make them difficult to electrodeposit. This paper describes the fabrication of micromechanical structures of these materials using electrophoretic deposition. Blanket deposition as well as deposition into patterned molds has been achieved with final film thicknesses ranging from 10–200 microns.