Metal objects spanning internal cavities in structures fabricated by additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10974499-B2
Application number	US-201916595144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2019
Priority date	Apr 17, 2015
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A three-dimensional electronic, biological, chemical, thermal management, and/or electromechanical apparatus can be configured by depositing one or more layers of a three-dimensional structure on a substrate. Such a three-dimensional structure can include one or more internal cavities using an additive manufacturing system enhanced with a range of secondary embedding processes. The three-dimensional structure can be further configured with structural integrated metal objects spanning the internal cavities (possibly filled with air or even evacuated) of the three-dimensional structure for enhanced electromagnetic properties.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a three-dimensional electronic, biological, chemical, thermal management, or electromechanical component/device, the method comprising:
creating a first layer of a three-dimensional structure by depositing a layer of substrate;
disposing a first electrically conductive shield over the layer of substrate;
creating a second layer of the three-dimensional structure over the first electrically conductive shield;
configuring the three-dimensional structure to include at least one internal cavity within the second layer, wherein the internal cavity contains at least one of a biological material, an electrochemical material, or vacuum tube electronics using an additive manufacturing system;
disposing a second electrically conductive shield over the internal cavity and second layer; and
further configuring the three-dimensional structure with a structurally integrated electrically conductive signal line spanning the internal cavity of the three-dimensional structure for enhanced electromagnetic properties, wherein a first portion of the signal line is disposed suspended within the internal cavity and a second portion of the signal line is disposed within the second layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing system utilizes thermoplastic feedstock to improve the three-dimensional structure internally or externally.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the electrically conductive signal line comprises a wire having an at least sub-micron diameter.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the electrically conductive signal line is connected to the three-dimensional structure such that a force is required to remove the electrically conductive signal line from the three-dimensional structure.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the electrically conductive signal line is connected to the three-dimensional structure to improve the three-dimensional structure mechanically, thermally, or electrically.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive signal line is connected to the three-dimensional structure such that a force is required to remove the electrically conductive signal line from the three-dimensional structure.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive signal line is connected to the three-dimensional structure to improve the three-dimensional structure mechanically, thermally, or electrically.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive signal line comprises beams having a shape of at least one of: rectangular, triangular, or any other cross-sectional geometry, lattice structures, wire meshes, metal foils, or metal sheets.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the internal cavity is filled with air at ambient temperature and pressure.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the internal cavity is evacuated and sealed to create a vacuum.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrically conductive shields and electrically conductive signal line are made of copper.

12. A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional electronic, biological, chemical, thermal management, or electromechanical device, the method comprising:
depositing a first layer of dielectric substrate;
disposing a first electrically conductive shield over the first layer;
depositing a second layer of dielectric substrate over the first electrically conductive shield;
forming an internal cavity within the second dielectric layer, wherein the internal cavity contains at least one of a biological material, an electrochemical material, or vacuum tube electronics;
embedding an electrically conductive signal line in the second dielectric layer, wherein a first portion of the signal line is disposed suspended within the internal cavity and a second portion of the signal line is disposed within the second layer; and
disposing a second electrically conductive shield over the second dielectric layer and internal cavity.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electrically conductive signal line comprises a wire having an at least sub-micron diameter.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electrically conductive signal line comprises beams having a shape of at least one of: rectangular, triangular, or any other cross-sectional geometry, lattice structures, wire meshes, metal foils, or metal sheets.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the internal cavity is filled with air at ambient temperature and pressure.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the internal cavity is evacuated and sealed to create a vacuum.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first and second electrically conductive shields and electrically conductive signal line are made of copper.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electrically conductive signal line is connected to the second layer to improve the device mechanically, thermally, and/or electrically.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electrically conductive signal line comprises a structurally integrated metal object that is connected to second layer such that a force is required to remove the structurally integrated metal object from the second layer.

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising a number of support structure for the first portion of the signal suspended within the internal cavity.

Assignees

• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Macdonald Eric
• Wicker Ryan
• Espalin David

Classifications

• B29C64/106 Primary

  using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material · CPC title

• B33Y80/00 Primary

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29K2105/206

  Meshes, lattices or nets · CPC title

• Y10T428/1355

  Elemental metal containing [e.g., substrate, foil, film, coating, etc.] · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title