Customized Thinning of Silicon-based Neural Probes Down to 2 µm.

This paper reports on the customized thinning of neural probes based on silicon (Si) using deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) as a post-processing step. The reduced probe dimensions are expected to minimize local tissue trauma, while guaranteeing probe integrity during implantation. For DRIE, the probes are partially masked by a micromachined Si cover chip comprising tailored cavities enabling any desired thinned length l and probe thickness t by a proper choice of cover chip design and DRIE parameters, respectively.