Perhaps you're dissolving the adhesion layer underneath the gold?

David Nemeth
Senior Process Engineer
Sophia Wireless, Inc.
14225-C Sullyfield Circle
Chantilly, VA
Ph: (703) 961-9573 x206
Fax:(703) 961-9576

-----Original Message-----
From: mems-talk-admin@memsnet.org [mailto:mems-talk-admin@memsnet.org]On
Behalf Of Jeroen Nieuwenhuis
Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2002 12:30 PM
To: mems-talk@memsnet.org
Subject: [mems-talk] Dissolving Gold electrodes


Dear all,

I am trying to measure the impedance of a 1% NaCl solution using 50 um x 150
um gold electrodes (thickness 0.6 um) in a microchannel and the electrodes
dissolve in about 40 minutes(!).

I used very pure NaCl and distilled water to make the solution. I use a
sine-wave generator to make a 50 mV AC voltage (offset oV) and I measure the
current using an transimpedance-amplifier with a 100k resistor. Nor the
source
nor the read-out electronics seems to generate a DC value current.

Does anybody have a suggestion what is going on? To the best of my knowledge
nothing should happen when the AC voltage used is less than about a volt.

Regards,
Jeroen Nieuwenhuis
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