Micro- and nanopatterning using scanning electrochemical microscopy

Early in the development of the scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), it was recognized that when an ultramicroelectrode (UME) is brought near a conducting surface, electron transfer is confined to a small area on the surface. This realization led to the development of a number of methods for using the SECM as a tool for surface modification. The activity in this field has partially been reviewed and the term microelectrochemistry has been coined to the formation of micropatterns using an electrochemical technique. The range of reactions that have been driven on surfaces spans from metal deposition and etching to patterning of surfaces with polymers, enzymes, and other biomolecules. Moreover, surface reactions other than electron transfer processes were carried out by SECM. Some activity has focused on increasing the resolution of the fabricated patterns, extending the capability of the SECM into the nanoelectrochemistry domain.