Nickel Etchants
For Thin Film Circuits
Etchants for evaporated or electroplated nickel films. Good compatibility with positive and negative photoresists. Ideal for gold / nickel / nichrome or chromium resistor boards with alumina substrates.
NICKEL ETCHANT TFB
Standard nickel etchant for evaporated nickel films.
NICKEL ETCHANT TFG
High purity etchant for electrodeposited nickel films. Nickel Etchant TFG is compatible with copper, gallium arsenide, and other III -V compounds.
NICKEL ETCHANT TYPE I
High purity etchant for nickel, nickel-iron alloys including constantan, and all grades of stainless steel.
FEATURES
- Economical
- Compatible with positive and negative photoresists
- Excellent fine line definition
- Uniform etch rates
NICKEL ETCHANTS
DESCRIPTION:
Transene Thin Film Nickel Etchants (Nickel TFB and Nickel TFG) are high-purity nitrate-based formulations for superior etching of evaporated or electroplated nickel films. Nickel Etchants are compatible with both positive and negative photoresist materials. Recommended resists include AZ-111, AZ-1350 OH, and KMER. Nickel Etchants are commonly employed in the manufacture of resistor boards where films of gold, nickel, and nichrome or chromium are to be etched. Nickel Etchant TFG is compatible with copper.
PROPERTIES OF TRANSENE NICKEL ETCHANT TFB
| How do I increase the etch rate? | 1. The rate will approximately double with every 10°C increase in temperature. 2. Increase the rate of stirring or agitation. |
| How do I reduce the etch rate? | Adding 1 part deionized water to 2 parts etchant will reduce the etch rate approximately 50%. |
| Do I need to dilute the etchant? | No, it is ready to use. |
| How do I reduce undercutting? | Increase the rate of stirring or agitation. |
| Appearance | Water-white |
| pH | Strong acid |
| Etch Rate at 30 oC | 25 Å/second |
| Etch Capacity (rate declines at ~70%) | 270 oz/gallon |
| Shelf Life | 1 year |
| Storage Conditions | Ambient |
| Filtration | 0.2 um |
| Recommended Operating Temperatures | 20-80oC (30-40oC most common) |
| Rinse | Deionized water |
| Photoresist Recommendations | KLT6000 Series, KLT 5300 Series, HARE SQ (SU-8 type), TRANSIST, or PKP-308PI |
| Select Compatible Materials | Au SiO2, Al2O3, Si3N4
See https://transene.com/etch-compatibility/ for more details. |
| Select Incompatible Materials | Al, Ag |
| Compatible Plastics | HDPE, PP, Teflon, PFA, PVC |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Availability | 1-2 days |
| Available Sizes | Quart, Gallon, 5 Gallon, 55 Gallon |
| Packaging | HDPE |
| Packing | 4 gallons/case |
| Isotropy | Isotropic |
| Incompatible Chemicals | Strong bases |
| Additional Information | Suitable for evaporated or sputtered nickel |
PROPERTIES OF TRANSENE NICKEL ETCHANT TFG
| How do I increase the etch rate? | 1. The rate will approximately double with every 10°C increase in temperature. 2. Increase the rate of stirring or agitation. |
| How do I reduce the etch rate? | Adding 1 part deionized water to 2 parts etchant will reduce the etch rate approximately 50%. |
| Do I need to dilute the etchant? | No, it is ready to use. |
| How do I reduce undercutting? | Increase the rate of stirring or agitation. |
| Appearance | Light yellow |
| pH | Strong acid |
| Etch Rate at 40 oC | 50 Å/second |
| Etch Capacity (rate declines at ~70%) | 100 oz/gallon |
| Shelf Life | 1 year |
| Storage Conditions | Avoid freezing |
| Filtration | 1 um |
| Recommended Operating Temperatures | 20-80oC (30-40oC most common) |
| Rinse | Deionized water |
| Photoresist Recommendations | KLT6000 Series, KLT 5300 Series, HARE SQ (SU-8 type), TRANSIST, or PKP-308PI |
| Select Compatible Materials | GaAs, Au, Cu (most applications), glass, alumina, nitride
See https://transene.com/etch-compatibility/ for more details. |
| Select Incompatible Materials | Al, Ag |
| Compatible Plastics | HDPE, PP, Teflon, PFA, PVC |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Availability | 1-2 days |
| Available Sizes | Quart, Gallon, 5 Gallon, 55 Gallon |
| Packaging | HDPE |
| Packing | 4 gallons/case |
| Isotropy | Isotropic |
| Incompatible Chemicals | Strong bases |
| Additional Information | Suitable for electroless or electrolytic nickel |
APPLICATION:
Nickel Etchants are supplied ready-to-use as immersion type etchants. Etch rates may be controlled via operating temperature. Nickel is normally sandwiched between gold and nichrome or chromium on an alumina substrate. Either evaporative or electroless nickel may be employed. Actual etch is related to film thickness and operating temperature but is typically approximately one minute for evaporative nickel and about four minutes for electroless nickel. Etching should be followed with a deionized water rinse.
Nickel Etchant Type I
Nickel Etchant Type I is a high purity etchant for nickel, nickel-iron alloys, iron, iron oxide, and some types of stainless steel. Copper is also etched by Nickel Etchant Type I. Compatible with a wide range of photoresists (including KPR, Dynachem, AZ, Riston, and Screen Resists). Nickel Etchant Type I contains metal chelating ingredients for optimal performance. Nickel Etchant Type I will not attack gold films.
Nickel Etchant Type I Literature Citation:
Nano Letters 2021 21 (16), 7079-7085
DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c01384
PROPERTIES OF TRANSENE NICKEL ETCHANT TYPE I
| How do I increase the etch rate? | 1. The rate will approximately double with every 10°C increase in temperature. 2. Increase the rate of stirring or agitation. |
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| How do I reduce the etch rate? | Adding 1 part deionized water to 2 parts etchant will reduce the etch rate approximately 50%. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Do I need to dilute the etchant? | No, it is ready to use. | ||||||||||||||||||
| How do I reduce undercutting? | Increase the rate of stirring or agitation. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Appearance | Brown | ||||||||||||||||||
| pH | Acidic | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Etch Capacity (rate declines at ~70%) | 19 oz/gallon | ||||||||||||||||||
| Shelf Life | 1 year | ||||||||||||||||||
| Storage Conditions | Ambient | ||||||||||||||||||
| Filtration | 1 um | ||||||||||||||||||
| Recommended Operating Temperatures | 20-80oC (30-40oC most common) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Rinse | Deionized water | ||||||||||||||||||
| Photoresist Recommendations | KLT6000 Series, KLT 5300 Series, HARE SQ (SU-8 type), TRANSIST, or PKP-308PI | ||||||||||||||||||
| Select Compatible Materials | Au, oxide, nitride, alumina
See https://transene.com/etch-compatibility/ for more details. |
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| Select Incompatible Materials | Al, Ni, Ti | ||||||||||||||||||
| Compatible Plastics | HDPE, PP, Teflon, PFA, PVC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Country of Origin | USA | ||||||||||||||||||
| Availability | Stock item | ||||||||||||||||||
| Available Sizes | Quart, Gallon, 5 Gallon, 55 Gallon | ||||||||||||||||||
| Packaging | HDPE | ||||||||||||||||||
| Packing | 4 gallons/case | ||||||||||||||||||
| Isotropy | Isotropic | ||||||||||||||||||
| Incompatible Chemicals | Strong bases, nitric acid | ||||||||||||||||||
| Additional Information | Immersion or spray application |
APPLICATION:
Nickel Etchant Type I is used at elevated temperatures, typically 30-60°C. Continuous agitation is required for uniform, consistent results. A variety of metal, metal alloy, and metal oxide materials may be etched with Nickel Etchant Type I.
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