Electroless and Electrolytic Plating of Ni, Cu, and Co_xFe_2-x/O₄ for the Application of Three-Dimensional Micro-Molding

Abstract

We investigated the combination of electroless and electrolytic plating of nickel, copper, and ferrite onto photopolymerized resin for use in the molding of three-dimensional micro-structures. The micro-molding process consists of four steps: fabrication of the resinous mold via two-photon micro-polymerization, plating of the mold, electrolytic grinding to open the interior structure, and extraction. A non-conductive epoxy resin was plated with nickel, copper, or ferrite through the electroless process, and then, the second layer composed of the other material was grown by the electroless or electrolytic plating. We found that the every combination of the three materials is available. The electrolytic plating was useful for applying a thick film with high purity.