Fabrication of micro-sized-copper column array through localized electrochemical deposition using 20-μm-diameter micro-anode

Local electrochemical deposition (LECD) is an economical and efficient three-dimensional (3D) microstructure fabrication method. In this study, we deposited a micro-copper column array via LECD using a 20-μm micro-anode. The micro-copper column array was manufactured in a copper sulfate solution, wherein the voltage was maintained constant, and the influence of horizontal and vertical gaps on the forms of the single-row arrays was studied. It was determined that changing the pitch had little effect on array deposition, which guaranteed the consistency of each copper pillar. Hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity tests were performed, and the change in contact angle was theoretically analyzed based on the experiment results. This study provides a new method for the realization of metal–surface hydrophobicity; thus, it provides the foundation for anti-frosting, droplet transport, and self-cleaning functions.