We normally make small planar components by machining and dicing of discs.

We have fabricated plates ranging in size from a few mm to as small as a few hundred µm square.

We have made flat plates, stepped plates, wedged plates, and plates with sine waves machined in them.

These plates have been as thin as 5 µm to as thick as 300 µm, and have been made out of aluminum, copper, Kapton and a highly cross-linked polymer produced by glow discharge polymerization. Various deposits can also be added.

An aluminum witness plate having three steps is shown in the photograph.

Bimetallic witness plates with a coating of iron on the lower of two steps of an aluminum plate have also been made, as shown here.