Thin-film magnesium as a sacrificial and biodegradable material

This work reports the study of ebeam-deposited thin-film magnesium (Mg) as a sacrificial and a biodegradable material. We have tested etchants including diluted hydrochloric acid (HCl), saline, and culture medium. Both vertical etching method and channel undercut method are used to characterize the Mg etching properties. The initial results confirm that thin-film Mg is a promising dual sacrificial and biodegradable material. In addition, an etching model, which fits accurately the etching length vs. time over a wide range of HCl concentrations (0.02-1M) is developed. This model is based on diffusion and a combined first-and-second order chemical reaction mechanism.