Net-shape structure with micro-truss core

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9539773-B2
Application number	US-201113312952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2011
Priority date	Dec 6, 2011
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A curved, three-dimensional, ordered micro-truss structure comprising: a plurality of first struts extending along a first direction; a plurality of second struts extending along a second direction; and a plurality of third struts extending along a third direction, wherein the first, second, and third struts interpenetrate one another at a plurality of nodes, wherein the pluralities of first struts, second struts, third struts, and nodes form a plurality of ordered unit cells within the micro-truss structure, and wherein the plurality of ordered unit cells define a curved surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a curved, three-dimensional, ordered micro-truss structure, the method comprising:
providing a volume of a photo-monomer;
providing a mask between at least one collimated light source and the volume of the photo-monomer, the mask having a plurality of apertures;
directing a collimated light beam from the at least one collimated light source to the mask for a period of exposure time, a portion of the collimated light beam passing through the apertures of the mask and into the photo-monomer to form a plurality of polymer waveguides through a portion of the volume of the photo-monomer;
removing any uncured photo-monomer to leave behind a partially cured, three-dimensional, ordered micro-truss structure comprising a plurality of ordered unit cells, the partially cured, three-dimensional, ordered micro-truss structure defining an open volume;
attaching a first faceplate to a first side of the plurality of ordered unit cells;
attaching a second faceplate to a second side of the plurality of ordered unit cells opposite the first side;
elastically deforming the micro-truss structure to form a partially cured, curved surface;
post-curing the micro-truss structure to form the curved, three-dimensional, ordered micro-truss structure having a cured, curved surface; and
applying a metal coating by at least one of electroless plating or electrodeposition to the plurality of ordered unit cells after attaching the first and second faceplates to the first and second sides of the plurality of ordered unit cells, the applying the metal coating comprising supplying a plating solution from a reservoir separated from the micro-truss structure into the micro-truss structure by flowing the plating solution through a first channel having a first end connected to the reservoir and a second end directly connected to a first opening defined in the first faceplate and concurrently flowing the plating solution out of the micro-truss structure through a second channel having a first end connected to the reservoir and a second end directly connected to a second opening defined in the first faceplate,
wherein the supplying the plating solution comprises pumping the plating solution through the micro-truss structure with a pump.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first faceplate or the second faceplate comprises a metal.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the metal coating forms a metallic connection between at least one of the first faceplate or the second faceplate and the plurality of ordered unit cells.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
heating the micro-truss structure above a glass transition temperature of the micro-truss structure;
wherein the elastically deforming the micro-truss structure to form the partially cured, curved surface comprises elastically deforming the micro-truss structure heated above the glass transition temperature.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), gold (Au), silver (Ag), ruhenium (Ru), platinum (Pt), rhobium (Rh), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the metal coating to the plurality of ordered unit cells comprises electrodeposition of the metal coating onto the plurality of ordered unit cells.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the metal coating to the plurality of ordered unit cells comprises electroless plating the metal coating onto the ordered unit cells.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing the polymer waveguides from the curved, three-dimensional, ordered micro-truss structure after the metal coating is applied to the plurality of ordered unit cells to form a plurality of hollow tubes.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attaching the first faceplate to the first side of the plurality of ordered unit cells and the attaching the second faceplate to the second side of the plurality of ordered unit cells occurs before the elastically deforming the partially cured, three-dimensional, ordered micro-truss structure into the curved surface.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attaching the first faceplate to the first side of the plurality of ordered unit cells and the attaching the second faceplate to the second side of the plurality of ordered unit cells occur after the deforming the partially cured, three-dimensional, ordered micro-truss structure into the curved surface.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pump is located in the second channel.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the metal coating comprises electrodeposition onto the plurality of ordered unit cells, and wherein the first faceplate comprises an insulating faceplate, the second faceplate comprises a working electrode, and the reservoir comprises a counter electrode.

Assignees

• Jacobsen Alan J
• Schaedler Tobias A
• Roper Christopher S
• Hrl Lab Llc

Inventors

• Jacobsen Alan J
• Schaedler Tobias A
• Roper Christopher S

Classifications

• B29C2035/0827

  using UV radiation · CPC title

• C25D5/08 Primary

  Electroplating with moving electrolyte e.g. jet electroplating {(using locally applied jets of electrolyte C25D5/026)} · CPC title

• C23C18/1233

  Organic substrates · CPC title

• C23C18/1653

  Two or more layers with at least one layer obtained by electroless plating and one layer obtained by electroplating · CPC title

• C23C18/1657

  Electroless forming, i.e. substrate removed or destroyed at the end of the process · CPC title