Methods of electroplating a target electrode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12104270-B2
Application number	US-202318311888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2023
Priority date	Jul 22, 2021
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

A method of electroplating a target electrode comprises establishing a first electric current through an electrolytic solution, comprising a quantity of an electrically charged material, an initial electrode, and a transitional electrode, so that a quantity of the electrically charged material is converted to a quantity of an electrically neutral material, which is electroplated, as a deposit, onto the transitional electrode; and establishing a second electric current through the electrolytic solution, the transitional electrode, and the target electrode so that a quantity of the electrically neutral material from the deposit is converted to a quantity of the electrically charged material, which is dissolved into the electrolytic solution, and a quantity of the electrically charged material in the electrolytic solution is converted to a quantity of the electrically neutral material, which is electroplated onto the surface of the target electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of electroplating at least a portion of a target electrode to form a part, the method comprising steps of:
establishing a first electric current through:
an electrolytic solution, comprising a quantity of an electrically charged material,
an initial electrode, a surface of at least a portion of which is in direct physical contact with the electrolytic solution, and
a transitional electrode, a surface of at least a portion of which is in direct physical contact with the electrolytic solution, so that a quantity of the electrically charged material in the electrolytic solution is converted to a quantity of an electrically neutral material, which is electroplated, as a deposit, onto the surface of at least the portion of the transitional electrode, wherein the initial electrode and the transitional electrode are coplanar and a first plane passes through the initial electrode and the transitional electrode, and wherein the initial electrode and the transitional electrode are individually addressable and form part of an electrode array of a printhead;

terminating the first electric current through the electrolytic solution, the initial electrode, and the transitional electrode; and
establishing a second electric current through:
the electrolytic solution,
the transitional electrode, and
the target electrode, a surface of at least the portion of which is in direct physical contact with the electrolytic solution, so that:
a quantity of the electrically neutral material from the deposit, formed on the surface of at least the portion of the transitional electrode, is converted to a quantity of the electrically charged material, which is dissolved into the electrolytic solution, and
a quantity of the electrically charged material in the electrolytic solution is converted to a quantity of the electrically neutral material, which is electroplated onto the surface of at least the portion of the target electrode and forms at least a portion of the part,
wherein a second plane passes through the target electrode and does not pass through the initial electrode nor the transitional electrode, the second plane being offset from and parallel to the first plane.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of establishing direct physical contact between the surface of at least the portion of the target electrode and the electrolytic solution, performed after the step of terminating the first electric current through the electrolytic solution, the initial electrode, and the transitional electrode.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of establishing direct physical contact between the surface of at least the portion of the target electrode and the electrolytic solution is performed before the step of establishing the second electric current through the electrolytic solution, the target electrode, and the transitional electrode.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a rate of forming the deposit, electroplated onto the surface of at least the portion of the transitional electrode, is higher than a rate electroplating the quantity of the electrically charged material in the electrolytic solution onto the surface of at least the portion of the target electrode.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first electric current, passing through the electrolytic solution, the initial electrode, and the transitional electrode, is established by an electric potential difference between the initial electrode and the transitional electrode;
the second electric current, passing through the electrolytic solution, the transitional electrode, and the target electrode, is established by an electric potential difference between the target electrode and the transitional electrode; and
the electric potential difference between the initial electrode and the transitional electrode is greater than the electric potential difference between the target electrode and the transitional electrode.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the initial electrode comprises a quantity of an electrode material; and
the transitional electrode comprises a quantity of the electrode material.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the target electrode comprises a quantity of the electrode material.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the electrically neutral material and the electrode material have different chemical compositions.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the electrically neutral material is more electrochemically reactive than the electrode material.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the initial electrode consists of a quantity of an electrode material; and
the transitional electrode consists of a quantity of the electrode material.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the initial electrode comprises a quantity of a first electrode material;
the transitional electrode comprises a quantity of a second electrode material; and
the first electrode material is more electrochemically reactive than the second electrode material.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the initial electrode consists of a quantity of a first electrode material;
the transitional electrode consists of a quantity of a second electrode material; and
the first electrode material is more electrochemically reactive than the second electrode material.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a shortest maximum distance between the transitional electrode and the target electrode is less than 5 millimeters.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a shortest maximum distance between the initial electrode and the transitional electrode is less than 5 millimeters.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first electric current, passing through the electrolytic solution, the initial electrode, and the transitional electrode, is terminated when the deposit reaches a predetermined size.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first electric current, passing through the electrolytic solution, the initial electrode, and the transitional electrode, is terminated after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first electric current, passing through the electrolytic solution, the initial electrode, and the transitional electrode, is terminated when a spatial distribution of the deposit reaches a predetermined spatial-distribution threshold.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first electric current, passing through the electrolytic solution, the initial electrode, and the transitional electrode, is terminated when the first electric current reaches a predetermined electric-current threshold.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first electric current, passing through the electrolytic solution, the initial electrode, and the transitional electrode, is established by an electric potential difference between the initial electrode and the transitional electrode; and
the first electric current, passing through the electrolytic solution, the initial electrode, and the transitional electrode, is terminated when the electric potential difference reaches a predetermined electric-potential-difference threshold.

20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of establishing the second electric current through the electrolytic solution, the transitional electrode, and the target electrode is performed when the electrolytic solutio

Assignees

• Fabric8Labs Inc

Inventors

• Shaik Kareemullah
• Edmonds Andrew
• Nicholl Ryan
• Pain David

Classifications

• C25D17/007 Primary

  Current directing devices · CPC title

• C25D21/14

  Controlled addition of electrolyte components · CPC title

• C25D21/04

  Removal of gases or vapours {; Gas or pressure control} · CPC title

• C25D21/18

  of electrolytes (C25D21/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C25D17/02

  Tanks; Installations therefor · CPC title