A tungsten needle etcher based on electrochemical oxidation under a microscope

Abstract

The utility model relates to a tungsten needle etcher based on electrochemical oxidation under microscope, including alternating -current power supply system, electrochemical etching liquid lifting system, microscope system, tungsten wire electrode clamping system, illumination system five part compositions. The tungsten needle etcher of the utility model, its structure is reasonable, and convenient operation can directly watch the corrosion degree of the needle tip of tungsten needle under microscope, avoids the operation of installing tungsten needle back and forth many times, and the accuracy increases, greatly shortens the time of making tungsten needle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of measuring instrument technology and relates to a tungsten needle etcher based on electrochemical oxidation under a microscope. Background Technology

[0002] In scientific research, researchers often need to measure the electrophysiological responses of individual insect receptors to stimuli, a technique known as single sensillum recording (SSR). SSR technology helps to elucidate the electrophysiological response mechanisms of insect olfactory and gustatory receptors before and after stimulation by different stimuli. Combined with other technologies such as gene interference and gene sequencing, it can determine the molecular mechanisms of insect olfactory responses, which is helpful in developing insect behavior regulation products and biological detectors for volatile organic compounds. This provides a theoretical basis for pest control, thereby reducing the use of chemical pesticides, increasing the availability of green and safe pest control products, and safeguarding food safety.

[0003] In SSR experiments, a commonly used consumable is the tungsten needle. This is made by electrochemically oxidizing a tungsten wire with a diameter of less than 0.2 mm to obtain a very fine needle tip (tens of nanometers to tens of micrometers). This needle tip is then inserted into the lymphatic fluid of a single chemoreceptor on the insect's body surface. The signal from this single receptor is then transmitted through the needle tip to a preamplifier. The amplified signal is then processed by the instrument and transmitted to a computer to form data. Therefore, the thickness of the tungsten needle tip directly affects the success rate of the experimental data. If the needle tip is too thick, it will not penetrate the single receptor; if the tip is too sharp, it will easily bend and become blunt when penetrating the receptor. Thus, the preparation of tungsten needles is a crucial and fundamental operation in SSR experiments.

[0004] Existing technologies typically employ grinding methods to sharpen tungsten needles, resulting in poor needle precision and cumbersome operation. Current technologies utilize electrochemical oxidation for etching, specifically using a sinusoidal AC or adjustable DC power supply. The process involves fixing the tungsten needle to an electrode rod and controlling the tungsten wire's movement up and down in a glass beaker containing an electrolyte solution using a Z-axis platform or by hand. Under AC or DC power, when the tungsten needle comes into contact with the electrolyte, an electrochemical reaction occurs at the contact surface, etching the tungsten wire and forming a tungsten needle tip. A drawback is that the tip size requires removing the electrode rod and observing the tip's sharpness under a microscope. If unsuitable, the process needs to be repeated several times. Therefore, tungsten needle preparation is a time-consuming operation with difficulty in controlling the tip length.

[0005] Given the cumbersome and time-consuming process of tungsten needle preparation and the difficulty in controlling the tip length of the tungsten needle, there is a need for optimization of the existing technology for tungsten needle preparation, as well as for optimized control of the tip length of the tungsten needle during the preparation process. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned technical defects in the existing tungsten wire needle tip preparation process, the first aspect of this utility model provides a tungsten needle etcher based on electrochemical oxidation under a microscope; including an AC power supply system, an electrochemical etching liquid lifting system, a microscope system, a tungsten wire electrode clamping system, and an illumination system; Furthermore, the AC power supply system adopts an adjustable DC power supply plus an H-bridge module for DC to AC conversion to obtain a square wave AC power with a frequency of 50~60 Hz that is isolated from the mains power and has an adjustable voltage, or adopts a pure sine wave electronic voltage regulator connected in series with an isolation transformer with a fixed turns ratio to provide a sine wave AC power with a frequency of 50~60 Hz and a voltage of 0~25V that is isolated from the mains power and has a continuously adjustable voltage. Furthermore, the electrochemical corrosion liquid lifting system includes a Z-axis fine-tuning precision lifting slide or a Z-axis dovetail groove rapid lifting slide and a polytetrafluoroethylene cup; an electrode disk is fixed to the bottom of the polytetrafluoroethylene cup; Furthermore, the microscope system is a binocular microscope or an electron microscope, or a combination of both; wherein, the binocular microscope has a tube at a 45° angle to the tabletop, the objective lens is horizontal, and the electrode rod held by the electrode holder perpendicular to the R-axis forms a 90° angle. Furthermore, the tungsten wire electrode clamping system comprises three parts: a stage that can move horizontally, backward, up, and down in six directions; an R-axis vertical rotary stage; and an electrode clamping base. Furthermore, the lighting system consists of LED lights with adjustable brightness, and the light beam is horizontal, illuminating the tungsten needle as it enters the objective lens observation hole; Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the AC power supply system uses an adjustable DC power supply plus a DC-to-AC H-bridge module to obtain a square wave AC power with a frequency of 50~60 Hz, a voltage of 0~25V, isolated from the mains power and with adjustable voltage. Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the electrochemical corrosion liquid lifting system consists of a Z-axis dovetail groove rapid lifting platform equipped with a horizontal support plate, a polytetrafluoroethylene cup fixed on the horizontal support plate, and a graphite electrode disk fixed at the bottom of the polytetrafluoroethylene cup. Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the microscope system is a binocular microscope body equipped with an ultra-long focal length objective lens. The objective lens is oriented horizontally, and the eyepiece tube is tilted upward at a 45° angle to the tabletop, so that the operator can see the tungsten needle tip in a more three-dimensional way through the binocular microscope. Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the microscope system is an anodometer with a metal coaxial photoelectron microscope, equipped with an ultra-long focal length objective lens. The objective lens is oriented horizontally, and the image from the high-definition camera is transmitted to the display screen. It is convenient for the operator to view the tip of the tungsten needle on the screen, and the size of the needle tip can be measured using the camera's built-in measurement software. Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the tungsten wire electrode clamping system's sliding tables in six directions (horizontal, backward, vertical, and horizontal) are composed of dovetail groove sliding tables. The electrode clamping seat is fixed on the R-axis vertical rotating platform, and the rotating platform is fixed on the combined sliding tables. This structural design allows the operator to quickly locate the needle tip under a high-powered eyepiece. The R-axis with the electrode clamping seat increases the operating space by rotating it during use, facilitating the installation and removal of the electrode rod and protecting the needle tip. Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the lighting system consists of adjustable brightness LED spotlights, which have adjustable brightness, concentrated beams, and low-voltage DC power supply, making them energy-saving and safe to use. The second aspect of this utility model provides an operation method for the above-mentioned tungsten needle etcher based on microscopic electrochemical oxidation, the operation steps of which include: Step A: Insert the tungsten wire into the metal electrode holder head, bend a small hook at the end, screw the holder head with the tungsten wire onto the electrode rod, and then fix it to the electrode holder seat with a nut. Step B: Turn on the light power, adjust the position of the moving stage and the R axis so that the lower end of the tungsten wire is at the focal point of the eyepiece, and the magnified end of the tungsten wire can be clearly seen through the eyepiece or the display screen. Step C: Prepare an electro-corrosion solution of a certain concentration (KOH or NaOH aqueous solution, concentration of about 1.5 mol / L is acceptable), pour it into a polytetrafluoroethylene cup, adjust the lifting platform, and determine the length of the tungsten wire submerged in the liquid as needed; Step D: Turn on the AC corrosion power supply, adjust the corrosion voltage, and after corrosion for a period of time, turn off the AC power supply, lower the PTFE cup, and observe the sharpness of the needle tip. If the sharpness is suitable, rotate the R axis to remove the tungsten needle. If it is not suitable, continue corrosion until a needle tip that meets the requirements is obtained.

[0007] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: A tungsten needle etcher based on microscopic electrochemical oxidation comprises five parts: an AC power supply system, an electrochemical etching solution lifting system, a microscope system, a tungsten wire electrode clamping system, and an illumination system. It is user-friendly, allowing direct observation of the tungsten needle tip corrosion under a microscope, significantly reducing the time required to fabricate tungsten needles, and is simple and easy to learn. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the tungsten needle etcher based on electrochemical oxidation under a microscope according to this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the tungsten needle etcher based on electrochemical oxidation under a microscope according to this utility model; In the diagram, 1-1 is the microscope eyepiece, 1-2 is the microscope objective lens, 1-3 is the R-axis rotary stage, 1-4 is the horizontal spotlight, 1-5 is the coaxial coarse and fine adjustment stage, 1-6 is the PTFE cup, 1-7 is the voltage adjusting potentiometer, 1-8 is the dovetail groove lifting slide, 1-9 is the base, 1-10 is the support arm, 1-11 is the microscope tube, 1-12 is the objective lens turret, 1-13 is the electrode rod holder, and 1-14 is the microscope base. Horizontal and vertical cross-shaped combined displacement stage, 2-1, camera, 2-2, microscope, 2-3, illumination lamp, 2-4, electrode holder, 2-5, electrode rod, 1-6, PTFE cup, 2-7, electrode holder Z-axis lifting stage, 2-8, PTFE cup Z-axis lifting stage, 2-9, X-axis displacement stage, 2-10, Y-axis displacement stage, 1-7, voltage adjusting potentiometer, 1-9, machine base, 2-13, computer. Detailed Implementation

[0009] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0010] It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other. The technical solution of this utility model will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0011] Unless otherwise stated, the exemplary embodiments / exemplifications shown are to be understood as providing exemplary features of various details of ways in which the technical concept of this utility model can be implemented in practice. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, the features of various embodiments / exemplifications may be additionally combined, separated, interchanged and / or rearranged without departing from the technical concept of this utility model.

[0012] The use of crosshairs and / or shading in the accompanying drawings is generally used to clarify the boundaries between adjacent components. Thus, unless otherwise stated, the presence or absence of crosshairs or shading does not convey or indicate any preference or requirement for the specific material, material properties, dimensions, proportions, commonalities between the illustrated components, or any other characteristics, properties, etc., of the components. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the dimensions and relative dimensions of components may be exaggerated for clarity and / or descriptive purposes. When exemplary embodiments can be implemented differently, a specific process sequence may be performed in a different order than that described. For example, two consecutively described processes may be performed substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order of their description. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same components.

[0013] When a component is referred to as being "on" or "above" another component, "connected to" or "joined to" another component, the component may be directly on, directly connected to, or directly joined to the other component, or there may be intermediate components. However, when a component is referred to as being "directly on" another component, "directly connected to," or "directly joined to" another component, there are no intermediate components. Therefore, the term "connection" can refer to a physical connection, an electrical connection, etc., and may or may not have intermediate components.

[0014] For descriptive purposes, this invention may use spatial relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “down,” “above,” “above,” “higher,” and “side (e.g., as in a “sidewall”)” to describe the relationship between one component and another component as shown in the accompanying drawings. In addition to the orientations depicted in the drawings, the spatial relative terms are also intended to encompass different orientations of the device during use, operation, and / or manufacture. For example, if the device in the drawings is flipped, a component described as “below” or “under” another component or feature would subsequently be positioned “above” said other component or feature. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both “above” and “below” orientations. Furthermore, the device may be otherwise positioned (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), thus interpreting the spatial relative descriptive terms used herein accordingly.

[0015] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to be restrictive. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well. Furthermore, when the terms “comprising” and / or “including” and variations thereof are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of the stated features, integrals, steps, operations, parts, components, and / or groups thereof, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, parts, components, and / or groups thereof. It should also be noted that, as used herein, the terms “substantially,” “about,” and other similar terms are used as approximate terms rather than as terms of degree, thus allowing them to account for inherent deviations in measurements, calculated values, and / or provided values ​​that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a tungsten needle etcher based on electrochemical oxidation under a microscope, according to this utility model.

[0017] This utility model discloses a tungsten needle etcher based on electrochemical oxidation under a microscope, comprising a microscope system consisting of a microscope eyepiece 1-1, a microscope objective 1-2, a support arm 1-10, a microscope tube 1-11, and an objective turret 1-12; a tungsten wire electrode clamping system consisting of an R-axis rotary displacement stage 1-3, an electrode rod holder 1-13, a horizontal and vertical cross combination displacement stage 1-14, and a coaxial coarse and fine adjustment displacement stage 1-5; an AC power supply system consisting of an adjustable DC power supply plus a DC-to-AC H-bridge module, assembled in the cavity of the base 1-9, with the output voltage controlled by a voltage regulating potentiometer 1-7; a polytetrafluoroethylene cup 1-6 and a dovetail groove lifting slide 1-8 forming an electrochemical etching liquid lifting system; and a horizontal spotlight 1-4 and a power supply board in the base 1-9 forming an illumination system.

[0018] In the electrochemical etching solution lifting system, a stainless steel or graphite electrode rod is fixed to the bottom of a PTFE cup. The cup contains an electrochemical etching solution, which can be an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. The electrode rod and electrode arm are connected to the output terminals of an AC power supply board by wires.

[0019] The horizontal spotlight uses a low-voltage DC LED light source, with adjustable brightness and safe operation.

[0020] The specific operation in actual use is as follows: Step A: Pour 20 ml of a 10% m / m sodium hydroxide aqueous solution into polytetrafluoroethylene cup 1-6; Step B: Fix the tungsten wire to the electrode rod, and then lock it into the electrode rod holder 1-13; Step C: Turn on the horizontal spotlight 1-4, the operator observes the image in the eyepiece, and adjusts the horizontal and vertical cross combination displacement stage 1-14 and the coaxial coarse and fine adjustment displacement stage 1-5 so that the lower end of the tungsten wire appears in the field of view; Step D: Turn on the AC corrosion power switch, adjust the dovetail groove lifting slide 1-8, and observe the size of the bubbles after the tungsten wire comes into contact with the alkaline solution from the side. Large and dense bubbles indicate that the tungsten wire is corroded faster, while small and few bubbles indicate that the tungsten wire is corroded slower. Step E: Adjust the lifting slides 1-8 up and down to change the depth of the tungsten wire immersed in the alkaline solution, and obtain the length of the tungsten wire needle tip after corrosion. Step F: Lower the lifting slide 1-8 and observe through the eyepiece whether the size of the tungsten filament needle tip meets the requirements. If it does not meet the requirements, repeat steps E and F until a needle tip that meets the requirements is obtained.

[0021] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of the tungsten needle etcher based on microscopic electrochemical oxidation of this utility model.

[0022] The system includes: a microscope system consisting of a camera 2-1, a microscope 2-2, and a computer 2-13, which can measure the diameter of the tungsten wire using computer software; a tungsten wire electrode clamping system consisting of an electrode clamping seat 2-4, an electrode rod 2-5, an electrode clamping seat Z-axis lifting stage 2-7, an X-axis displacement stage 2-9, and a Y-axis displacement stage 2-10; an AC power supply system consisting of an adjustable DC power supply and a DC-to-AC H-bridge module, assembled in the cavity of the base 1-9, with the output voltage controlled by a voltage regulating potentiometer 1-7; an electrochemical etching solution lifting system consisting of a polytetrafluoroethylene cup 1-6 and a polytetrafluoroethylene cup Z-axis lifting stage 2-8; and an illumination system consisting of an illumination lamp 2-3 and a power supply board in the base 1-9.

[0023] Figure 2 Another type of tungsten needle etcher based on microscopic electrochemical oxidation has the same specific operation process and steps. Figure 1 Similarly, a significant advantage is that the shape of the needle tip can be observed directly on the display screen, and the size of the needle tip can be measured.

[0024] In summary, compared with existing technology, the tungsten needle corrosion device based on microscopic electrochemical oxidation of this invention is easier for users to operate, allows direct observation of the corrosion degree of the tungsten needle tip under a microscope, greatly shortens the time for tungsten needle production, and is simple and easy to learn; it is conducive to the application of industrial-scale production in workshops.

Claims

1. A tungsten needle etcher based on microscopic electrochemical oxidation, characterized in that: The system includes an AC power supply system, an electrochemical etching solution lifting system, a microscope system, a tungsten wire electrode clamping system, and a lighting system. The AC power supply system uses an adjustable DC power supply plus a DC-to-AC H-bridge module to obtain a square wave AC power supply with a frequency of 50-60 Hz, isolated from mains power and with adjustable voltage. Alternatively, it uses a pure sine wave electronic voltage regulator connected in series with a fixed turns ratio isolation transformer to provide a sine wave AC power supply with a frequency of 50-60 Hz and a voltage of 0-25V, isolated from mains power. The electrochemical etching solution lifting system includes a Z-axis fine-tuning precision lifting slide or a Z-axis dovetail groove rapid lifting slide. The system includes a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) cup; an electrode disk is fixed to the bottom of the PTFE cup; the microscope system is a binocular microscope or an electron microscope, or a combination of both; wherein, the binocular microscope has a 45° angle between its tube and the tabletop, the objective lens is horizontal, and forms a 90° angle with the electrode rod held by the R-axis perpendicular electrode holder; the tungsten filament electrode holding system includes a stage that can move horizontally in six directions (front, back, up, and down), an R-axis perpendicular rotating stage, and an electrode holder; the illumination system consists of adjustable-brightness LED lights, with the lights illuminating horizontally towards the tungsten needle entering the objective lens observation hole.

2. The electrochemical oxidation tungsten needle etcher according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tungsten needle etcher based on electrochemical oxidation under a microscope includes: a microscope system consisting of a microscope eyepiece (1-1), a microscope objective (1-2), a support arm (1-10), a microscope tube (1-11), and an objective turret (1-12); a tungsten wire electrode clamping system consisting of an R-axis rotary displacement stage (1-3), an electrode rod holder (1-13), a horizontal and vertical cross combination displacement stage (1-14), and a coaxial coarse and fine adjustment displacement stage (1-5); an AC power supply system consisting of an adjustable DC power supply plus a DC-to-AC H-bridge module, assembled in the cavity of the base (1-9), with the output voltage controlled by a voltage regulating potentiometer (1-7); a polytetrafluoroethylene cup (1-6) and a dovetail groove lifting slide (1-8) forming an electrochemical etching liquid lifting system; and a lighting system consisting of a horizontal spotlight (1-4) and a power supply board in the base (1-9).

3. The electrochemical oxidation tungsten needle etcher according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tungsten needle etcher based on microscopic electrochemical oxidation includes: a microscope system consisting of a camera (2-1), a microscope (2-2), and a computer (2-13), which can measure the diameter of the tungsten wire from the computer software; a tungsten wire electrode clamping system consisting of an electrode clamp (2-4), an electrode rod (2-5), an electrode clamp Z-axis lifting stage (2-7), an X-axis displacement stage (2-9), and a Y-axis displacement stage (2-10); an AC power supply system consisting of an adjustable DC power supply plus a DC-to-AC H-bridge module, assembled in the cavity of the base (1-9), with the output voltage controlled by a voltage regulating potentiometer (1-7); a polytetrafluoroethylene cup (1-6) and a polytetrafluoroethylene cup Z-axis lifting stage (2-8) forming an electrochemical etching liquid lifting system; and an illumination system consisting of an illumination lamp (2-3) and a power supply board in the base (1-9).

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