Hierarchical Structure Including Nanoscale Passages By Using Wet-Etching of Nickel Thin Films in Lamellae Layers for Bio-Sensors Applications

In recent years, research for surface hierarchical structures for chemical sensor and bio-sensor devices applications has been highlighted owing to their relatively large ratio of surface-area compared to the volume. Especially, the hierarchical micro-nanostructures (organization of the nanostructure within the microstructure) including nanoscale passages have been intensively studied, because nanoscale passages are necessary for single-molecule DNA sequencing. In order to realize a hierarchical micro-nanostructure, the fabrication process for micro- and nano-scale structures should be applied together, controlling each pattern size precisely. Therefore, the properties of lateral Ni film etching by TFB etchant at room temperature were investigated by using samples with patterned lamellae layers consist of Ni, Al2O3, and SiO2 for fabricating hierarchical structures for the fabrication of hierarchical structure including nanoscale passages. Lateral etching length was increased with increasing etching time, despite of the difficult passage through nanoscale passage in lamellae layers. However, higher etching rate (2.1 nm/s) was observed in lower Ni film, which has contact with SiO2 and Al2O3 layers, compared to that (1.6 nm/s) of upper Ni film, which has contact with only Al2O3, due to stronger wetting property of SiO2, inducing easier penetration of etchant into nanoscale passage between surrounding layers. Moreover, the influence of Ni film thickness on lateral etching characteristics was also investigated. In this presentation, the fabrication process based on lateral Ni film etching in lamellae layers by liquid etchant at room temperature will be presented systematically for bio-sensor applications.