Electrochemically fabricated structures having dielectric or active bases and methods of and apparatus for producing such structures
First Claim
1. An electrochemical fabrication process for producing a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers, the process comprising:
- (A) selectively depositing a first material onto a temporary substrate or onto previously deposited material on the temporary substrate to form a portion of a layer and depositing at least a second material to form another portion of the layer, wherein one of the first material or the second material comprises a structural material and the other comprises a sacrificial material, and wherein the depositing of the first material or the second material comprises an electrodeposition operation;
(B) forming the plurality of adhered layers such that successive layers are formed adjacent to and adhered to previously formed layers, wherein said forming comprises repeating (A) a plurality of times to form an embedded structure;
(C) after formation of the plurality of adhered layers, attaching a structural substrate comprising a dielectric material to at least a portion of a layer of the embedded structure and separating the temporary substrate from the embedded structure; and
(D) after attaching the structural substrate, removing at least a portion of the sacrificial material from multiple layers and from the embedded structure to release the three-dimensional structure.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Multilayer structures are electrochemically fabricated on a temporary (e.g. conductive) substrate and are thereafter bonded to a permanent (e.g. dielectric, patterned, multi-material, or otherwise functional) substrate and removed from the temporary substrate. In some embodiments, the structures are formed from top layer to bottom layer, such that the bottom layer of the structure becomes adhered to the permanent substrate, while in other embodiments the structures are form from bottom layer to top layer and then a double substrate swap occurs. The permanent substrate may be a solid that is bonded (e.g. by an adhesive) to the layered structure or it may start out as a flowable material that is solidified adjacent to or partially surrounding a portion of the structure with bonding occurs during solidification. The multilayer structure may be released from a sacrificial material prior to attaching the permanent substrate or it may be released after attachment.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An electrochemical fabrication process for producing a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers, the process comprising:
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(A) selectively depositing a first material onto a temporary substrate or onto previously deposited material on the temporary substrate to form a portion of a layer and depositing at least a second material to form another portion of the layer, wherein one of the first material or the second material comprises a structural material and the other comprises a sacrificial material, and wherein the depositing of the first material or the second material comprises an electrodeposition operation; (B) forming the plurality of adhered layers such that successive layers are formed adjacent to and adhered to previously formed layers, wherein said forming comprises repeating (A) a plurality of times to form an embedded structure; (C) after formation of the plurality of adhered layers, attaching a structural substrate comprising a dielectric material to at least a portion of a layer of the embedded structure and separating the temporary substrate from the embedded structure; and (D) after attaching the structural substrate, removing at least a portion of the sacrificial material from multiple layers and from the embedded structure to release the three-dimensional structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An electrochemical fabrication process for producing a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers, the process comprising:
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(A) selectively depositing a first material onto a first temporary substrate or onto previously deposited material on the first temporary substrate to form a portion of a layer and depositing at least a second material to form another portion of the layer, wherein one of the first material or the second material comprises a structural material and the other comprises a sacrificial material, and wherein the depositing of the first material or the second material comprises an electrodeposition operation; (B) repeating (A) a plurality of times to form the plurality of adhered layers such that successive layers are formed adjacent to and adhered to previously formed layers to produce an embedded structure; (C) after formation of the plurality of adhered layers attaching a second temporary substrate, which comprises a dielectric material, to at least a portion of a layer of the embedded structure and separating the first temporary substrate from the embedded structure and then attaching a structural substrate to at least a portion of a layer of the embedded structure that at least partially overlaps a location that was occupied by the first temporary substrate; and (D) after attaching the second temporary substrate, removing at least a portion of the sacrificial material from multiple layers and from the embedded structure to release the three-dimensional structure. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. An electrochemical fabrication process for producing a three-dimensional structure, the process comprising:
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(A) selectively depositing a first material onto a temporary substrate or onto previously deposited material on the temporary substrate to form a portion of a layer and depositing at least a second material to form another portion of the layer, wherein one of the first material or the second material comprises a structural material and the other comprises a sacrificial material, and wherein the depositing of the first material or the second material comprises an electrodeposition operation; (B) forming a plurality of adhered layers such that each successive layer is formed adjacent to and adhered to a previously formed layer, wherein said forming comprises repeating (A) a plurality of times to produce an embedded structure; (C) after formation of the plurality of layers attaching a structural substrate, comprising a plurality of materials and/or a patterned structure, to at least a portion of a layer of the embedded structure and separating the temporary substrate from the embedded structure; and (D) after attaching the structural substrate, removing at least a portion of the sacrificial material from multiple layers and from the embedded structure to release the three-dimensional structure. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. An electrochemical fabrication process for producing a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers, the process comprising:
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(A) selectively depositing a first material onto a first temporary substrate or onto previously deposited material on the first temporary substrate to form a portion of a layer and depositing at least a second material to form another portion of the layer, wherein one of the first material or the second material comprises a structural material and the other comprises a sacrificial material, and wherein the depositing of the first material or the second material comprises an electrodeposition operation; (B) repeating (A) a plurality of times to form a plurality of layers such that successive layers are formed adjacent to and adhered to previously deposited layers to form an embedded structure; (C) after formation of the plurality of adhered layers attaching a second temporary substrate, which comprises a plurality of materials and/or comprises a patterned structure, to at least a portion of a layer of the embedded structure and separating the first temporary substrate from the embedded structure and then attaching a structural substrate to at least a portion of a layer of the embedded structure that at least partially overlaps a location that was occupied by the first temporary substrate; and (D) after attaching the second substrate, removing at least a portion of the sacrificial material from multiple layers and from the embedded structure to release the three-dimensional structure. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. An electrochemical fabrication process for producing a multi-part three-dimensional structure, the process comprising:
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(A) forming at least one part of the multi-part structure, comprising; (1) selectively depositing a first material onto a substrate or onto previously deposited material on the substrate to form a portion of a layer and depositing at least a second material to form another portion of the layer, wherein one of the first material or the second material comprises a structural material and the other comprises a sacrificial material, and wherein the depositing of the first material or the second material comprises an electrodeposition operation; (2) forming a plurality of adhered layers such that successive layers are formed adjacent to and adhered to previously formed layers, wherein said forming comprises repeating (1) a plurality of times; (B) supplying at least one additional part of the multi-part structure; (C) attaching the at least one part to the at least one additional part to form an embedded structure; and (D) after attaching the at least one part and the at least one additional part, removing at least a portion of the sacrificial material from multiple layers and from the embedded structure to release a multi-part three-dimensional structure. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification