Methods of and Apparatus for Electrochemically Fabricating Structures Via Interlaced Layers or Via Selective Etching and Filling of Voids

• US 20120261267A1
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microfabrica Incorporated (Technoprobe S.P.A.)
• Original Assignee: Microfabrica Incorporated (Technoprobe S.P.A.)
• Inventors: Smalley, Dennis R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,601,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/118
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/042 Micromirrors, not used as optical switches
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00126 Static structures not provided for in groups B81C1/00031 - B81C1/00119
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/0038 Processes for creating layers of materials not provided for in groups B81C1/00357 - B81C1/00373
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1605 by masking
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1651 Two or more layers only obtained by electroless plating
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 1/003 3D structures, e.g. superposed patterned layers
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/02 Electroplating of selected surface areas
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/392 Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2885 using an external electrical current, i.e. electro-deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76885 By forming conductive members before deposition of protective insulating material, e.g. pillars, studs
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/202 Coaxial filters cascaded coaxial cavities H01P1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing waveguides or resonators, lines, or other devices of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/005 Manufacturing coaxial lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/06 Coaxial lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/183 at least one of the guides being a coaxial line
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4647 : by applying an insulating layer around previously made via studs

Abstract

Multi-layer structures are electrochemically fabricated by depositing a first material, selectively etching the first material (e.g. via a mask), depositing a second material to fill in the voids created by the etching, and then planarizing the depositions so as to bound the layer being created and thereafter adding additional layers to previously formed layers. The first and second depositions may be of the blanket or selective type. The repetition of the formation process for forming successive layers may be repeated with or without variations (e.g. variations in: patterns; numbers or existence of or parameters associated with depositions, etchings, and or planarization operations; the order of operations, or the materials deposited). Other embodiments form multi-layer structures using operations that interlace material deposited in association with some layers with material deposited in association with other layers.

Claims

1. A fabrication process for forming a multi-layer three-dimensional structure, comprising:

(a) forming and adhering a layer, comprising at least a first material and a second material, one of which is a structural material and the other of which is a sacrificial material, to a previously formed layer; and

(b) repeating the forming and adhering of (a) a plurality of times to build up a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers, wherein the three-dimensional structure is formed from at least one of the first and second materials;

wherein formation of at least a given layer and a subsequent layer adjacent to the given layer, of the plurality of layers, comprises;

(1) depositing a first material for the given layer, onto a previously deposited material to form a portion of the given layer, wherein a height of deposition exceeds a desired boundary of the given layer;

(2) planarizing the surface of the deposited first material to set a level that defines the desired boundary for the given layer;

(3) selectively etching into the first material on the given layer to a desired depth to create voids in the first material of the given layer such that the voids extend through the given layer ;

(4) depositing a second material for the given layer which is also a first material for the subsequent layer to form a portion of the given layer and to form a portion of the subsequent layer, wherein a height of deposition exceeds a desired boundary of the subsequent layer;

(5) planarizing the surface of the deposited first material for the subsequent layer, to set a level that is no less than a a level of a desired boundary for the subsequent layer; and

(6) selectively etching into the first material for the subsequent layer to a desired depth to create voids in the subsequent layer such that the voids in the first material of the subsequent layer extend through the subsequent layer to at least the desired boundary of the given layer;

(c) after the repeating of the forming and adhering the plurality of times, removing at least a portion of the sacrificial material from the structural material to reveal the multi-layer three-dimensional structure formed from the structural material.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein at least one of the depositing of the first material for the given layer or the depositing of the second material for the given layer comprises an electrodeposition operation.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein formation of a plurality of pairs of layers, each pair comprising a given layer and a subsequent layer, comprise repeating (1)-(6) during the formation of each of the plurality of pairs of layers.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the plurality of pairs of layers comprise:

(1) a first layer and a second layer, (2) a third layer and a fourth layer; and

(3) a fifth layer and a sixth layer, wherein the first through sixth layers are six consecutive layers.

5. The process of claim 1 additionally comprising:

(7) depositing a second material for the subsequent layer into voids created by the etching of (6) to form a portion of the subsequent layer.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein an immediately succeeding layer is located on the subsequent layer and is intended to comprise the second material for the subsequent layer and wherein the depositing of the second material for the subsequent layer is of a sufficient extent to occupy the immediately succeeding layer to become a first material for the immediately succeeding layer and to reach at least a level that bounds the immediately succeeding layer and after the deposition of the first material for the immediately succeeding layer, planarizing the first material for the immediately succeeding layer to the level that bounds the immediately succeeding layer.

7. The process of claim 5 wherein after the depositing of the second material for the subsequent layer, planarizing the deposition of operation (7) at the level that bounds the subsequent layer.

8. A fabrication process for forming a multi-layer three-dimensional structure, comprising:

(a) forming and adhering a material for a given layer to a previously formed layer and/or to a substrate; and

(b) repeating the forming and adhering operation of (a) a plurality of times to build up a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers;

wherein for a plurality of layers, a deposition of material in association with a given layer results in deposition of material into voids in a previous layer that was only partially completed.

9. A method for processing data representing a three-dimensional structure to obtain cross-sectional data for use in forming the three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers, comprising:

(a) receiving data representing a three-dimensional structure to be formed;

(b) deriving preliminary cross-sectional data for each layer that will be used during the formation of the three-dimensional structure;

(c) deriving common data for each layer n−

1, representing intersections between structural material that will exist on layer n and on layer n−

1 during formation of the three-dimensional structure;

(d) deriving offset data from the common data that has a boundary that is offset inward relative to the common data; and

(e) deriving a pattern of etching holes from the offset data for each layer using a predefined grid pattern of etching hole patterns.