Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, Vol.38, No.6, 785-791, 2008
A potential method for electrochemical micromachining of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V
The micromachining of complex three-dimensional microstructures (bulk micromachining) on metals can be applied to fabricate many novel devices for micro electromechanical system (MEMS), which will greatly benefit the development of MEMS. In this paper, a new electrochemical micromachining method named the confined etchant layer technique (CELT) was explored on the micromachining of the titanium alloy. Micro-scale trapezoidal slots were replicated on titanium alloy by using a mold with the corresponding negative microstructures (trapezoidal teeth). The machining resolution reached 0.503 mu m. The electrochemical mechanisms involved in the process are analyzed and the parameters that influenced the machining resolution are discussed.