This book falls into Elsevier’s Micro & Nano Technologies Series. As a teacher who taught a course on microsensors and actuators for over 10 years, I always saw the need for having a book on electrochemical micromachining (EMM) techniques containing good illustrations. Classical books cover this topic in a few pages without emphasizing the principles. Electrochemical machining (ECM) is a topic that requires greater emphasis as a potential method by which devices can be fabricated. It provides continuous production schemes with ease. This book is an excellent addition to the nanotechnology literature.
In chapter 1, the author brings out the differences between conventional processing and nanofabrication. He also describes the different elements of microelectromechanical systems and microsystems. Micromachining processes are well illustrated and explained. The advantages and limitations of ECM and EMM are presented to orient the reader to top-down and bottom-up approaches in nanofabrication processes. Chapter 2 is directed toward electrochemical macro- to micromachining. It brings out the versatility of ECM techniques and introduces the reader to fundamentals of electrochemistry. The pathways of a general electrode reaction and electrode processes are explained using Faraday’s Laws of electrolysis, Nernst’s equation, and Pourbaix diagrams.
Chapter 3 discusses the principle of materials removal in EMM. Appropriately, the author introduces the basic equivalent electrical circuit for a single electrode by using the metal-electrolyte interface as a capacitor. This is followed by a good picture of the inter-electrode gap, and its response to pulse cycle is discussed elegantly. Subsequent discussion of the material removal rate model illustrates the removal of micromachined products through the Butler–Volmer equation.
Chapters 4–12 discuss several technological aspects of ECM, such as types of ECM (chapter 4); ECM setup (chapter 5); design and development of micro tools (chapter 6); influencing factors of EMM (chapter 7); improvements of machining accuracy (chapter 8); advantages, limitations, and applications of EMM (chapter 9); microdevice fabrication (chapter 10); electrochemical microsystem technology (chapter 11); and advancements in EMM of micro- and nanofabrication (chapter 12). The concluding chapter discusses nano features on metals and semiconductors for nanotechnological applications (chapter 13). There is an 11-page index that makes it easy to navigate topics.
The author orients the reader in a logical and systematic manner to power supply requirements, electrolyte feed, optimum factor levels, and process details with impressive illustrations. One drawback of the book is in formatting: the equations in some chapters are numbered, while in others they are not. The book will be very useful to professionals as well as nonprofessionals who are interested in electrochemical micromachining. I strongly recommend this book for scientists, engineers, and those who wish to teach this subject.
Reviewer: K.S.V. Santhanamis a professor in the School of Chemistry and Materials Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology, USA.
