ELECTRODE CONTACT CONTAMINATE REMOVAL

• US 20110127243A1
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Tsampazis, Kostas I., Brkljaca, Mile J., Pufulescu, Mirela E., Capcelea, Edmond, Rapsey, Jane L., Dadd, Fysh
• Granted Patent: US 8,461,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/121.69
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/36 Electric or electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/36 Removing material B23K26/55, B23K26/57 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Manufacturing an electrode assembly comprising forming an intermediate assembly comprising a carrier member having one or more electrode contacts embedded therein, the surface of the electrode contacts having a layer of carrier member material thereon; removing the layer of carrier member from the surface of the one or more electrode contacts, wherein a residual amount of the carrier member material remains on the surface of at least one of the electrode contacts; and substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact so as to increase the effective surface area of the at least one electrode contact.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an electrode assembly, the method comprising:

forming an intermediate assembly comprising a carrier member having one or more electrode contacts embedded therein, the surface of the electrode contacts having a layer of carrier member material thereon;

removing the layer of carrier member from the surface of the one or more electrode contacts, wherein a residual amount of the carrier member material remains on the surface of at least one of the electrode contacts; and

substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact so as to increase the effective surface area of the at least one electrode contact.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact, comprises:

laser ablating the residual carrier member material at the surface of the at least one electrode contact with a laser beam.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein laser ablating the residual carrier member material at the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from an excimer laser.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from an excimer laser, comprises:

impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from a Krypton Flouride (KrF) excimer laser.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from an excimer laser, comprises:

impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from a Argon Flouride (ArF) excimer laser.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from an excimer laser, comprises:

impacting the residual carrier member material of the surface with a sequence of laser pulses.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact, comprises

applying electric discharges between an electrode discharge machine (EDM) cutting tool and residual carrier member material.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact, comprises

placing an abrasive material in contact with the at least one electrode contact;

and

moving the abrasive material relative to the surface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact, comprises:

chemically etching the surface of the at least one electrode contact.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact, comprises:

dissolving the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact surface via electrolysis.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact, comprises:

applying an acidic wash to the surface of the at least one electrode contact.

12. A method for manufacturing an electrode assembly, comprising:

forming an electrode contact, wherein the surface has one or more contaminates thereon; and

laser ablating at the surface of the electrode contact with a laser beam to substantially remove the contaminates from the surface so as to increase the effective surface area of the electrode contact.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein laser ablating at the surface of the electrode contact comprises:

impacting the contaminates with a laser beam from an excimer laser.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein impacting the contaminates with a laser beam from an excimer laser comprises:

impacting the contaminates a laser beam from a Krypton Flouride (KrF) excimer laser.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein impacting the contaminates with a laser beam from an excimer laser comprises:

impacting the contaminates of the surface with a laser beam from a Argon Flouride (ArF) excimer laser.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein impacting the contaminates with a laser beam from an excimer laser comprises:

impacting the region of the surface with a sequence of laser pulses.

17. A method for manufacturing an electrode assembly, the method comprising:

forming an intermediate assembly comprising a carrier member having one or more electrode contacts therein, the surface of the electrode contacts having a layer of carrier member material disposed thereon;

removing the layer of carrier member from the surface of the one or more electrode contacts, wherein a residual amount of the carrier member material remains on the surface of at least one of the electrode contacts; and

laser ablating the residual carrier member at the surface of the at least one electrode contact with a laser beam to substantially remove the residual carrier member material from the contact so as to increase the effective surface area of the at least one electrode contact.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein laser ablating the residual carrier member from the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from an excimer laser.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from an excimer laser, comprises:

impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from a Krypton Flouride (KrF) excimer laser.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from an excimer laser, comprises:

impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from a Argon Flouride (ArF) excimer laser.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from an excimer laser, comprises:

impacting the residual carrier member material of the surface with a sequence of laser pulses.

22. A system for manufacturing an electrode assembly, the system comprising:

means for forming an intermediate assembly comprising a carrier member having one or more electrode contacts embedded therein, the surface of the electrode contacts having a layer of carrier member material thereon;

means for removing the layer of carrier member from the surface of the one or more electrode contacts, wherein a residual amount of the carrier member material remains on the surface of at least one of the electrode contacts; and

means for substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact so as to increase the effective surface area of the at least one electrode contact.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact, comprises

means for laser ablating the residual carrier member material at the surface of the at least one electrode contact with a laser beam.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for laser ablating the residual carrier member material at the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

means for impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from an excimer laser.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from an excimer laser, comprises:

means for impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from a Krypton Flouride (KrF) excimer laser.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from an excimer laser, comprises:

means for impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from a Argon Flouride (ArF) excimer laser.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for impacting the residual carrier member material with a laser beam from an excimer laser, comprises:

means for impacting the residual carrier member material of the surface with a sequence of laser pulses.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact, comprises

means for applying electric discharges between an electrode discharge machine (EDM) cutting tool and residual carrier member material.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact, comprises

means for placing an abrasive material in contact with the at least one electrode contact;

and

means for moving the abrasive material relative to the surface.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact, comprises:

means for chemically etching the surface of the at least one electrode contact.

31. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact, comprises:

means for dissolving the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact surface via electrolysis.

32. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for substantially removing the residual carrier member material from the surface of the at least one electrode contact, comprises:

means for applying an acidic wash to the surface of the at least one electrode contact.