Chemical Etching Formula
Ni201 pure nickel with FeCl₃+HCl

Formula Summary

The table below summarizes every parameter that defines this etching formula. Values listed as ranges scale with sheet thickness across the supported band.

Why FeCl₃+HCl for Ni201 pure nickel?

On Ni201 pure nickel, the ferric chloride system attacks the alloy's oxide layer continuously while ferric ions drive dissolution. It is regenerable, compatible with standard photolithography, and produces clean burr-free edges — which is why nearly every Ni201 pure nickel etch line runs a variant of this formula.

Process Window & Bath Control

Hold the bath at 50°C with concentration 44 °Bé (specific gravity 1.410). Across the 0.05-0.3 mm thickness range, conveyor speed runs from 0.19-2.83 m/min — thinner sheets move faster, thicker sheets slower, in roughly inverse proportion to thickness. A typical mid-range setpoint is 0.68 m/min for 0.15 mm stock. Use redundant PID temperature control to hold the bath within ±1.5°C, and titrate at least once per shift.

Design Rules & Tolerances

Feature sizes scale with sheet thickness. For this formula the minimum hole diameter ranges 60-360 μm and the minimum line width ranges 100-300 μm across the 0.05-0.3 mm band, following the industry 1.2× (hole) and 1.0× (line) thickness rules. Single-side undercut ranges 9-54 μm, and the etch factor is about 2.79. Size your photomask by subtracting twice the expected undercut from each finished feature dimension.

Yield & Production Economics

Expect a yield in the 96.2-96.9% range for Ni201 pure nickel with FeCl₃+HCl, with 96.7% typical on a well-controlled line. Most rejects trace back to upstream coating and exposure rather than to the etch bath itself, so tightening photolithography control is usually the fastest path to a higher number.

Typical Applications

Parts produced with the FeCl₃+HCl formula on Ni201 pure nickel are common in battery tab interconnects, fuel-cell components, and corrosion-resistant masks. The burr-free, stress-free nature of chemical etching makes it the preferred process wherever flatness and edge quality matter more than raw throughput.

Process Equipment & Material Reference

On the shop floor, this Ni201 pure nickel + FeCl₃+HCl recipe is implemented on a biomedical blade etching machine. The 50°C bath setpoint and 0.19-2.83 m/min conveyor range correspond to verified production envelopes on that equipment for through etch (double-sided).

The Nickel chemical etching guide reference goes one level above the recipe shown here, surveying the full thickness range, depth options, and common subgrades we run for nickel.

Production Use Cases for This Formula

Production examples for the Ni201 pure nickel / FeCl₃+HCl recipe span cold-press juicer filtration mesh, tea-infuser custom filter etching, and stainless filtration mesh for vacuum cleaners. In every case, the etch factor and undercut figures on this page are the dominant tolerance drivers — bath maintenance discipline matters more than equipment headline rating.

Designs that sit slightly outside this thickness or feature-size envelope are usually addressable by a sister formula in the same etchant family. The bath chemistry stays the same; the tuning shifts to conveyor speed and resist choice.

Other Metals Etched with FeCl₃+HCl

The FeCl₃+HCl chemistry is also documented for these alloys.

More Pure Nickel Formulas

Other formulas in the same material family.

Frequently Asked Questions