Process for forming integrated structures using three dimensional printing techniques

• US 6,363,606 B1
• Filed: 10/16/1998
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Guardian Corp. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lanzerotti, Louis J., Thomson, David J., Pribble, Cindy M., Johnson, David W. Jr., Kochanski, Gregory P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUGBANG, ANTHONY D
• Application Number:
  US09/174,503
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 298/54, 296/232, 295/93, 264/25, 264/69, 264/407, 264/408, 264/496, 369/474.24, 369/522
• US Class Current: 29/854
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/14 by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/39 Traceability, e.g. incorporating identifier into a workpiece or article
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/50 Treatment of workpieces or articles during build-up, e.g. treatments applied to fused layers during build-up
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/55 Two or more means for feeding material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/26 Impregnating making ferrous alloys by impregnation C22C33/0242
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 7/06 of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools B22F7/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2037/80 Identifying, e.g. coding, dating, marking, numbering
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/20 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. moulding inserts or for coating articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0005 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0006 Dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/10 Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor

Abstract

An improved process for making a structure using three dimensional printing techniques is disclosed. Briefly stated, the method can be summarized by the following steps: A first type of powder material is deposited in a defined area to form a first layer. Next, a binder material is applied to certain regions of the first type of powder to define a portion of the structure to be formed. And finally, a portion of the unbound powder is removed using a technique such as vacuuming. The foregoing steps are repeated a sufficient number of times to create the desired shape of the structure as defined by the regions held by the binder material.

Claims

1. A process for making a three dimensional structure, comprising the steps of:

depositing a powder material in a defined area;

introducing a first binder material to at least one portion of said powder material thereby forming at least one region of a first type of solid material;

introducing a second binder material to at least one portion of said powder material thereby forming at least one region of a second type of solid material, wherein said second binder material is different from said first binder material;

leaving a third portion of said powder material unbounded by the binder materials, wherein said third portion has a generally smooth surface;

removing at least a portion of said unbound powder material from said generally smooth surface of said third portion to form at least one void; and

prior to completing the three dimensional structure and after the step of removing at least said portion of said unbound powder, repeating the steps of depositing said powder material in said defined area and introducing said first binder material.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sintering said at least one region of said first type of solid material to harden the three dimensional structure.

3. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

inserting a component into said at least one void such that said component engages said at least one region of said first type of solid material.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein said first binder material chemically reacts with said powder material thereby altering the electrical conductivity of said at least one region of said first type of solid material.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein said first binder material is a conductive binder material and said second binder material is a dielectric binder material, such that said first type of solid material is electrically conductive so as to form at least one electrically conductive region and said second type of solid material is electrically insulative so as to form at least one electrically insulative region.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein said powder material is a mixture of metallic and ceramic powders.

7. The process of claim 5, wherein a portion of said at least one electrically conductive region and a portion of said at least one electrically insulative region are sequentially arranged to form an identification code for the three dimensional structure.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein said portion of said at least one electrically conductive region comprising said identification code is accessible at an outer surface of the three dimensional structure.

9. The process of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

providing a logic system for electrical communication with said portion of said at least one electrically conductive region at said outer surface.

10. The process of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

inserting a logic system into said at least one void, said logic system being in electrical communication with said portion of said at least one electrically conductive region comprising said identification code.

11. The process of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

electroplating said at least one electrically conductive region.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein a plurality of separate voids are created, said voids being sequentially arranged to form an identification code for the three dimensional structure.

13. The process of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

injecting an acoustic signal into each of said voids and measuring the response thereto, said identification code being comprised of said responses to said acoustic signal.

14. The process of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

filling a portion of said voids with a second material having a higher atomic number on average than the remainder of the three dimensional structure, said identification code being comprised of said sequence of filled and unfilled voids.

15. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

producing a texture in a portion of said at least one region of said first type of solid material so that said textured portion has an appearance that changes as a function of a viewing and an illumination direction.

16. A process for making a three dimensional structure, comprising the steps of:

depositing a first powder material in a defined area;

introducing a binder material to at least one portion of said first powder material to form at least one region of a first type of solid material;

depositing a second powder material within said defined area;

introducing a second binder material to at least one portion of said second powder material to form at least one region of a second type of solid material;

leaving at least one portion of said first and second powder materials unbound by the binder materials, wherein said unbound powder has a generally smooth surface;

removing at least a portion of said unbound powder material having said generally smooth surface to form at least one void; and

prior to completing the three dimensional structure and after step the of removing at least said portion of said unbound powder, repeating the steps of depositing said first powder material in said defined area and introducing said binder material.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein said first powder material is a conductive powder material and said second,powder material is a dielectric powder material.

18. The process of claim 17, wherein a portion of said at least one region of a first type of solid material and said portion of said at least one region of said second type of solid material are sequentially arranged to form an identification code for the three dimensional structure.

19. The process of claim 18, wherein said portion of said at least one region of said first type of solid material is accessible at an outer surface of the three dimensional structure.

20. The process of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

providing a logic system for electrical communication with said portion of said at least one region of said first type of solid material at said outer surface.

21. The process of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

inserting a logic system into said at least one void, said logic system being in electrical communication with said portion of said at least one region of said first type of solid material comprising said identification code.

22. The process of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

electroplating said at least one region of said first type of solid material.

23. The process of claim 17, wherein said step of removing at least a portion of said unbounded powder material comprises the steps of:

electrically charging some of said powder material; and

attracting said electrically charged powder material with an instrument having an opposite electrical charge with respect to said charged powder material.

24. The process of claim 16, wherein a plurality of voids are created, said voids being sequentially arranged to form an identification code for the three dimensional structure.

25. The process of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

injecting an acoustic signal into each of said voids and measuring the response thereto, said identification code being comprised of said responses to said acoustic signal.

26. The process of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

filling a portion of said voids with a third material having a higher atomic number on average than the remainder of the three dimensional structure, said identification code being comprised of said sequence of filled and unfilled voids.

27. The process of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

producing a texture in a portion of said at least one region of said first type of solid material and said at least one region of said second type of solid material so that textured portion has an appearance that changes as a function of a viewing and an illumiantion direction.

28. The process of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

forming a fracture region in the three dimensional structure such that said fracture region has a fracture surface having an identifying mark formed thereon.

29. The process of claim 16, wherein said unbounded powder material is removed via vacuuming.

30. The process of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

curing said first and second powder materials with ultra violet light.

31. The process of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

corona treating said first and second type of solid materials.

32. The process of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

introducing a water soluble binder into a portion of at least one of said first and second powder materials.

33. The process of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

introducing an acrylic binder into a portion of at least one of said first and second powder material.

34. The process of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

depositing one of said first and second powder materials over one of said at least one region of said first type of solid material and said at least one region of said second type of solid material after introducing said binder material; and

vacuuming said one said first and second powder materials.