Advanced Processing of Micropatterned Elasto-Magnetic Membranes

We report on a fabrication of a highly structured elasto-magnetic membrane with microscopic unit cells using lithographic techniques and electrodeposition. The membrane comprises micromagnets of CoNiP and Co connected via an elastic PDMS network with an area spanning 12 mm
²
. Ellipsoidal CoNiP and circular Co particles were produced by electrodeposition to achieve diameters of 30 (major) and 10 μm (minor) and 10 μm, respectively, with a thickness in the range of 6-10 μm. The electrodeposition parameters have been optimized on deposition of CoNiP films to produce an in-plane coercivity for CoNiP elements of 435 Oe. The mechanical properties of the elasto-magnetic membrane were confirmed on application of an alternating magnetic field. The proposed methodology offers a new way for fabrication of novel microfluidic and microelectro-mechanical-systems devices.