Electrochemical Thinning for Anodic Aluminum Oxide and Anodic Titanium Oxide

For given electrolytes, different behaviors of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) and anodic titanium oxide (ATO) during electrochemical thinning are explained by ionic and electronic current modes. Branched structures are unavoidably created in AAO since the switch of ionic to electronic current is slow, whereas the barrier oxide in ATO is thinned without formation of the branched structures. In addition, pore opening can be possible in ATO if chemical etching is performed after the thinning process. The thinning was optimized for complete pore opening in ATO and potential-current behavior is interpreted in terms of ionic current-electronic current switching.