The penetration of acoustic cavitation bubbles into micrometer-scale cavities

• Penetration of acoustic cavitation bubbles in micrometer sized cavities.
• Improved filling of high aspect ratio microvias.
• High speed visualizations of bubble oscillations inside the cavities.
• Improved mass transfer in the microvias under the action of ultrasound.

The penetration of acoustically induced cavitation bubbles in micrometer-scale cavities is investigated experimentally by means of high-speed photography and acoustic measurements. Micrometer-scale cavities of different dimensions (width = 40 μmμm, 80 μmμm, 10 mm and depth = 50 μmμm) are designed to replicate the cross section of microvias in a PCB. The aim here is to present a method for enhancing mass transfer due to the penetration of bubbles in such narrow geometries under the action of ultrasound. The micrometer-scale cavities are placed in a test-cell filled with water and subjected to an ultrasound excitation at 75 kHz. A cavitation bubble cluster is generated at the mouth of the cavity which acts as a continuous source of bubbles that penetrate into the cavity. The radial oscillation characteristics and translation of these bubbles are investigated in detail here. It is observed that the bubbles arrange themselves into streamer-like structures inside the cavity. Parameters such as bubble population and size distribution and their correlation with the phase of the incident ultrasound radiation are investigated in detail here. This provides a valuable insight into the dynamics of bubbles in narrow confined spaces. Mass transfer investigations show that fresh liquid can be continuously introduced in the cavities under the action of ultrasound. Our findings may have important consequences in optimizing the filling processes for microvias with high aspect ratios.