Fabrication of Long-range Ordered Porous Alumina Membranes with Various Voltages Applied for Hard Anodization

Studying the long-range ordering of nanopores on the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes under a hard anodization (HA) approach is crucial in producing well-aligned nanopores on the AAO membranes. Electro-polishing in a mixture of ethanol and perchloric acid for 5 min removed marks formed by rolling and produced flat surfaces on aluminum substrates. The AAO was formed by the first HA process, providing seeds for the subsequent production of uniform AAO nanopores. The second HA process carried out on the seeds produced well-aligned, uniform AAO nanopores. The AAO nanopores, varying in size and shape, were observed with voltages applied for HA. This study provides a route for controlling the size and shape of AAO nanopores by changing the applied voltages. (Received August 22, 2011)