Electrochemical-deposition system, apparatus, and method using optically-controlled deposition electrodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12252801-B2
Application number	US-202318470075-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2023
Priority date	Aug 2, 2021
Publication date	Mar 18, 2025
Grant date	Mar 18, 2025

Abstract

An electrochemical-deposition apparatus includes an electrode array, a photoconductor, an electrically conductive layer, an electromagnetic-radiation emitter, an electric-power source, and a controller. The controller is configured to direct electric power to be supplied from the electric-power source to the electrically conductive layer and direct the electromagnetic-radiation emitter to generate electromagnetic radiation. When the electric power is supplied to the electrically conductive layer and when the electromagnetic radiation is generated, the photoconductor is illuminated at a first radiation level and a first level of electric current is enabled through the photoconductor and the at least one deposition electrode. When the electric power is supplied to the electrically conductive layer and when the electromagnetic radiation is generated, the photoconductor is illuminated at a second radiation level and a second level of electric current is enabled through the photoconductor and the at least one deposition electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrochemical-deposition apparatus, comprising:
an electrode array comprising deposition electrodes;
a photoconductor electrically coupled with at least one of the deposition electrodes;
an electrically conductive layer electrically coupled with the photoconductor and positioned so that the photoconductor is electrically interposed between the at least one deposition electrode and the electrically conductive layer;
an electromagnetic-radiation emitter configured to generate electromagnetic radiation and positioned so that, when generated, at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation illuminates the photoconductor;
an electric-power source configured to supply electric power to the electrically conductive layer; and
a controller configured to:
direct the electric power to be supplied from the electric-power source to the electrically conductive layer; and
direct the electromagnetic-radiation emitter to generate the electromagnetic radiation when the electric power is supplied to the electrically conductive layer so that an electric current is enabled from the electrically conductive layer, through the photoconductor, and through the at least one deposition electrode.

2. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the electrically conductive layer is interposed between the electromagnetic-radiation emitter and the photoconductor; and
when generated, at least the portion of the electromagnetic radiation passes through the electrically conductive layer and illuminates the photoconductor.

3. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the electrically conductive layer comprises an electrically conductive material that is at least partially transparent to the at least the portion of the electromagnetic radiation.

4. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the electromagnetic radiation is one of visible light or non-visible light; and
the electrically conductive material is transparent to the one of the visible light or the non-visible light.

5. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the electrically conductive material comprises an aperture through which the at least the portion of the electromagnetic radiation is passable from the electromagnetic-radiation emitter to the photoconductor.

6. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the electrically conductive layer further comprises an electrically non-conductive substrate;
the electrically non-conductive substrate is at least partially transparent to the at least the portion of the electromagnetic radiation; and
the electrically non-conductive substrate is interposed between the electrically conductive material and the electromagnetic-radiation emitter so that, when generated, the at least the portion of the electromagnetic radiation passes through the electrically non-conductive substrate.

7. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a photoconductor array comprising a plurality of photoconductors, wherein the photoconductor is one of the plurality of photoconductors and each one of the plurality of photoconductors is electrically coupled with a corresponding one or more of the deposition electrodes, wherein the electromagnetic-radiation emitter is configured to generate the electromagnetic radiation so that, when generated, at least the portion of the electromagnetic radiation illuminates any one or more of the plurality of photoconductors.

8. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein when the electromagnetic radiation is generated:
the electromagnetic radiation illuminates at least two of the plurality of photoconductors;
a first one of the at least two of the plurality of photoconductors receives a first quantity of the electromagnetic radiation;
a second one of the at least two of the plurality of photoconductors receives a second quantity of the electromagnetic radiation; and
the first quantity is different than the second quantity.

9. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the electromagnetic-radiation emitter is movable relative to the photoconductor array.

10. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the electromagnetic-radiation emitter comprises a plurality of electromagnetic-radiation-generating elements spaced apart from each other and each configured to one of:
selectively generate the electromagnetic radiation; or
selectively permit the electromagnetic radiation to pass therethrough.

11. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the electromagnetic-radiation emitter comprises a laser; and
the electromagnetic radiation is a laser beam.

12. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic-radiation emitter comprises a light-emitting diode.

13. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the electromagnetic-radiation emitter comprises a liquid crystal display and a backlight source; and
the liquid crystal display is interposed between the backlight source and the photoconductor.

14. An electrochemical-deposition apparatus, comprising:
a deposition electrode;
a photoconductor electrically coupled with the deposition electrode;
an electrically conductive layer electrically coupled with the photoconductor and positioned so that the photoconductor is electrically interposed between the deposition electrode and the electrically conductive layer; and
an electromagnetic-radiation emitter configured to generate electromagnetic radiation and positioned so that, when generated, at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation illuminates the photoconductor, which enables an electric current from the electrically conductive layer to transmit through the photoconductor and through the deposition electrode.

15. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein:
the electrochemical-deposition apparatus further comprises:
a plurality of deposition electrodes; and
a plurality of photoconductors, each electrically coupled with a corresponding one of the plurality of deposition electrodes; and

the electromagnetic-radiation emitter is configured to selectively generate separate quantities of the electromagnetic radiation so that, when generated, at least a portion of each one of the separate quantities of the electromagnetic radiation illuminates a corresponding one or corresponding ones of the plurality of photoconductors.

16. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein when the surface of the target electrode and the surface of the deposition electrode are in direct physical contact with the electrolytic solution:
the electrically conductive layer is interposed between the electromagnetic-radiation emitter and the photoconductor; and
when generated, at least the portion of the electromagnetic radiation passes through the electrically conductive layer and illuminates the photoconductor.

17. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the electrically conductive layer comprises an electrically conductive material that is at least partially transparent to the at least the portion of the electromagnetic radiation.

18. The electrochemical-deposition apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising a photoconductor array comprising a plurality of photoconductors, w

Assignees

• Fabric8Labs Inc

Inventors

• Pain David
• Edmonds Andrew

Classifications

• C25D17/10

  Electrodes {, e.g. composition, counter electrode} · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• C25D21/12

  Process control or regulation (controlling or regulating in general G05) · CPC title

• B33Y30/00 Primary

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• C25D5/10

  Electroplating with more than one layer of the same or of different metals (for bearings C25D7/10) · CPC title