Methods of fabricating electronic and mechanical structures

• US 9,993,982 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2012
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nuvotronics, Inc (Cubic Corporation)
• Inventors: Sherrer, David W., Cardwell, Dara L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Lisha
• Application Number:
  US14/232,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20140231266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 19/00 Casting in, on, or around objects which form part of the product B22D23/04 takes precedence; alumino-thermic welding B23K23/00; coating by casting molten material on the substrate C23C6/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/882 partly or totally electrically conductive, e.g. for EMI shielding conductive floors or floor coverings H05F3/025; EMI shielding in general H05K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/02 Electroplating of selected surface areas
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/005 Manufacturing coaxial lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/06 Coaxial lines
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0274 Optical details, e.g. printed circuits comprising integral optical means H05K1/0269 takes precedence; coupling light guides with opto-electronic components G02B6/42
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0284 Details of three-dimensional rigid printed circuit boards H05K1/119 takes precedence; shaping of the substrate H05K3/0014
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0191 wherein the thickness of the dielectric plays an important role
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0195 Dielectric or adhesive layers comprising a plurality of layers, e.g. in a multilayer structure
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/037 Hollow conductors, i.e. conductors partially or completely surrounding a void, e.g. hollow waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/1275 by other printing techniques, e.g. letterpress printing, intaglio printing, lithographic printing, offset printing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4664 Adding a circuit layer by thick film methods, e.g. printing techniques or by other techniques for making conductive patterns by using pastes, inks or powders H05K3/4647 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to the fabrication of complicated electronic and/or mechanical structures and devices and components using homogeneous or heterogeneous 3D additive build processes. In particular the invention relates to selective metallization processes including electroless and/or electrolytic metallization.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a three dimensional device, comprising:

depositing a first polymer material using three dimensional printing; and

depositing a second polymer material using three dimensional printing, wherein;

the second polymer material is capable of being selectively metallized with respect to the first polymer material; and

the steps of depositing the first and second polymer materials create a coaxial structure having a metallizable center conductor core comprising the second polymer material and a metallizable outer conductor core comprising the second polymer material, with the first polymer material disposed between the center conductor core and outer conductor core to support the center conductor core in the outer conductor core.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising removing one of the first and second polymer materials.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising depositing a metal on the surfaces of the metallizable center and outer conductor cores.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing the first polymer material comprises creating a support post disposed between the center conductor core and the outer conductor core, the post comprising the first polymer material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of depositing the first and second polymer materials comprises creating a support bar having first and second ends disposed within respective walls of the outer conductor core, the support bar disposed below the center conductor core to support the center conductor core within the outer conductor core.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second polymer material comprises a selectively metallizable surface.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising treating the selectively metallizable surface to accept a metallization catalyst for either electroless metallization or electrolytic metallization.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the treatment is at least one or more of swelling, etching, oxidizing, plasma treating, and contacting with a metallization catalyst.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the polymer materials comprises a metallizable component.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising electrolessly metallizing the second polymer material.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising electrolytically metallizing the second polymer material.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second polymer materials comprises a conductive polymer.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising providing a metal coating on a surface of the second polymer material.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the three dimensional printing is at least one of stereolithography, 2-photon stereolithography, inkjet, hot melt extrusion fabrication, or selective laser sintering.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the three dimensional printing comprises stereolithography and wherein a liquid monomer or polymer is replaced with a different liquid monomer or polymer at selected stages during the stereolithographic process.