Method of manufacturing porous anodized alumina film

• US 6,139,713 A
• Filed: 11/02/1998
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Masuda, Hideki, Nakao, Masashi, Tamamura, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Valentine, Donald R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leader, William T..
• Application Number:
  US09/180,240
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 205/206, 205/213, 205/223, 205/229, 205/324, 205/328, 205/332
• US Class Current: 205/206
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0065 by anodic oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/025 Aluminium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 11/045 for forming AAO templates
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 11/16 Pretreatment , e.g. desmutting

Abstract

A plurality of recesses having the same interval and array as those of pores of an alumina film, which are to be formed in anodizing, are formed on a smooth surface of an aluminum plate in advance, and then, the aluminum plate is anodized. With this process, the roundness of the pores of the porous anodized alumina film and the uniformity of pore size are improved, and the pores are regularly arrayed at a predetermined interval. The recesses are formed by pressing a substrate having a plurality of projections on its surface against the aluminum plate surface to be anodized.

Claims

1. A method of forming a porous anodized alumina film, characterized by comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of recesses in a surface of a smooth aluminum plate in a predetermined array at a predetermined interval; and

anodizing the aluminum plate to form a porous anodized alumina film having pores having a predetermined shape and the same interval and array as those of the plurality of recesses.

2. A method of forming a porous anodized alumina film according to claim 1, characterized in that

the plurality of recesses are arrayed such that recesses around each recess are arrayed in a regular hexagon in the aluminum plate, and

the step of anodizing the aluminum plate comprises

anodizing the aluminum plate at an anode oxidation voltage obtained by dividing the interval of the recesses by 2.5 nm/V, thereby forming a hexagonal close-packed array of the plurality of pores corresponding to the plurality of recesses.

3. A method of forming a porous anodized alumina film according to claim 2, characterized in that

the step of anodizing the aluminum plate comprises

anodizing the aluminum plate in a bath of oxalic acid at the anode oxidation voltage within a voltage range of 35 to 45 V, thereby forming the hexagonal close-packed array of the plurality of pores corresponding to the plurality of recesses.

4. A method of forming a porous anodized alumina film according to claim 2, characterized in that

the step of anodizing the aluminum plate comprises

anodizing the aluminum plate in a bath of sulfuric acid at the anode oxidation voltage within a voltage range of 23 to 28 V, thereby forming the hexagonal close-packed array of the plurality of pores corresponding to the plurality of recesses.

5. A method of forming a porous anodized aluminum film according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising the steps of

after forming the porous anodized alumina film having the pores having the predetermined shape and the same interval and array as those of the plurality of recesses by anodizing, removing the aluminum plate from the porous anodized alumina film, and

removing a barrier layer of the porous anodized alumina film to obtain an alumina film having through holes.

6. A method of forming a porous anodized alumina film according to claim 1, characterized in that

the step of forming the recesses in the surface of the aluminum plate comprises

pressing a substrate having, on a surface, a plurality of projections corresponding to the plurality of recesses against the surface of the aluminum plate to form the plurality of recesses having the predetermined interval and array.

7. A method of forming a porous anodized alumina film according to claim 6, characterized in that

the plurality of recesses are arrayed such that recesses around each recess are arrayed in a regular hexagon in the aluminum plate, and

the step of anodizing the aluminum plate comprises

anodizing the aluminum plate at an anode oxidation voltage obtained by dividing the interval of the recesses by 2.5 nm/V, thereby forming a hexagonal close-packed array of the plurality of pores corresponding to the plurality of recesses.

8. A method of forming a porous anodized alumina film according to claim 7, characterized in that

the step of anodizing the aluminum plate comprises

anodizing the aluminum plate in a bath of oxalic acid at the anode oxidation voltage within a voltage range of 35 to 45 V, thereby forming the hexagonal close-packed array of the plurality of pores corresponding to the plurality of recesses.

9. A method of forming a porous anodized alumina film according to claim 7, characterized in that

the step of anodizing the aluminum plate comprises

anodizing the aluminum plate in a bath of sulfuric acid at the anode oxidation voltage within a voltage range of 23 to 28 V, thereby forming the hexagonal close-packed array of the plurality of pores corresponding to the plurality of recesses.

10. A method of forming a porous anodized alumina film according to claim 6, characterized by further comprising the steps of

after forming the porous anodized alumina film having the pores having the predetermined shape and the same interval and array as those of the plurality of recesses by anodizing, removing the aluminum plate from the porous anodized alumina film, and

removing a barrier layer of the porous anodized alumina film to obtain an alumina film having through holes.

11. A method of forming a porous anodized alumina film, characterized by comprising the steps of:

forming an aluminum film on a substrate having a smooth surface;

forming a plurality of recesses on a surface of the aluminum film to have a predetermined interval and array; and

anodizing the surface of the aluminum film to form a porous anodized alumina film having pores having a predetermined shape and the same interval and array as those of the plurality of recesses.

12. A method of forming a porous anodized alumina film according to claim 11, characterized in that

the step of forming the recesses in the surface of the aluminum film comprises

pressing a substrate having, on a surface, a plurality of projections corresponding to the plurality of recesses against the surface of the aluminum film to form the plurality of recesses having the predetermined interval and array.