Profiling of Advanced Metastable Alloys by Electrochemical Micromachining (ECMM)

A recent trend in bulk metallic glass (BMG) research is the development of suitable techniques for production of micro-parts and micro-patterned surfaces. Thermo-mechanical processing is very promising but has also some limitations [1]. 

An electrochemical approach with no need of high temperatures utilizes the transpassive dissolution of metallic glasses. Electrochemical micro-machining (ECMM) with a micro-tool electrode is for the first time employed to generate micro-patterns on BMG surfaces by strict control of the local electrochemical process. The principal method is established and first experiments using Zr-based and Fe-based BMG are conducted for evaluating the advantages and challenges of this advanced technique. Micro-hole structures were machined with significant aspect ratios at depths of ~40 µm. The effect of process parameters such as electrolyte, pulse voltage and pulse length was investigated and their influence on the machined structure morphology is established.

[1]  J. Schroers, Adv. Mater. 21, (2009) 1.

[2]  J.A.Koza, R. Sueptitz, M. Uhlemann, L. Schultz, A. Gebert, Intermetallics 19, (2011) 437.