Hello,

I have a couple of questions that I hope someone will be able to help me
with....

1) I want to etch away a silica template (1 cm2 area, thickness 10 microns,
periodicity of 600 nm), leaving behind the Cu that I have electrodeposited
into it. I do not want the Cu to be damaged or have its templated structure
altered at all. I am thinking of using HF. Can anyone suggest a
concentration and lenghth of time which will remove the silica whilst not
damaging the metal?  Also has any done this before and do you have any tips
for me?

2) I tried the above etching with NH4F and found that it attacked the Cu
anisotropically, leaving it with an extremely ordered structure (wiith or
without a silica template). Has anyone else observed this and can you
explain why it happens? Will this also happen with HF?


Many thanks

Amanda, ICL, Oxford


------------------------------------------------
Amanda Plimmer
Lincoln College
Turl St
Oxford
OX1 3DR

07899 988238
internal ext. 20979


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