A Leveling Method Based on Current Feedback Mode of Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy

Substrate leveling is an essential but neglected instrumental technique of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). In this technical note, we provide an effective substrate leveling method based on the current feedback mode of SECM. By using an air-bearing rotary stage as the supporter of an electrolytic cell, the current feedback presents a periodic waveform signal, which can be used to characterize the levelness of the substrate. Tuning the adjusting screws of the tilt stage, substrate leveling can be completed in minutes by observing the decreased current amplitude. The obtained high-quality SECM feedback curves and images prove that this leveling technique is valuable in not only SECM studies but also electrochemical machining.