Three dimensional additive manufacturing of metal objects by stereo-electrochemical deposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9777385-B2
Application number	US-201715415246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Nov 19, 2015
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus for stereo-electrochemical deposition of metal layers consisting of an array of anodes, a cathode, a positioning system, a fluid handling system for an electrolytic solution, communications circuitry, control circuitry and software control. The anodes are electrically operated to promote deposition of metal layers in any combination on the cathode to fabricate a structure.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a reaction chamber configured to retain an ionic solution that can be decomposed by electrolysis;
an anode array containing a plurality of anodes stationary with respect to one another, the anode array disposed in the reaction chamber and configured to be immersed in the ionic solution such that the plurality of anodes are in fluid contact with one another through the ionic solution, and such that the plurality of anodes cause a deposition of a unitary layer structure or a series of unitary layer structures;
a cathode disposed in the reaction chamber and configured to be immersed in the ionic solution such that the cathode is in fluid contact with the plurality of anodes through the ionic solution;
a system for electro-mechanically positioning either the anode array, the cathode, or both to control the distance between the anode array and the cathode;
at least one sensor for measuring an electrical current flowing through the plurality of anodes, the cathode or both; and,
a microcontroller, coupled to the system for electro-mechanically positioning either the anode array, the cathode, or both, coupled to the at least one sensor, and coupled to a source of layer slice information, programmed with instructions that when executed by the microcontroller cause the microcontroller to:
(i) control the current applied to each anode of the plurality of anodes; and
(ii) using the sensor current measurement, control the electro-mechanical positioning of the anode array, or the cathode, or both to control the distance between the anode array and the cathode during an electrolytic decomposition of the ionic solution to cause the deposition of the unitary layer structure or the series of unitary layer structures.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the anode array has a geometrical shape that is chosen from the group consisting of hexagonal, rectangular, square, or circular geometrical shapes.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the anode array is constructed upon a printed circuit board, doped or undoped semiconductor, or other means of separating conductive elements from one another and aligning them in a pre-determined pattern.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the anode array is connected electrically to, or disposed upon an integrated circuit, semiconductor, or combination of conductive and insulative elements meant for biasing the plurality of anodes.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of anodes has an exposed surface having a geometric shape chosen from the group consisting of a hexagon, a rectangle, a triangle, a square, or a circle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of anodes is arranged in rows in the anode array.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of anodes is insulated from one another and is biased individually.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of anodes is insulated from one another and is biased in groups of anodes.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of anodes is constructed out of a material resistant to physical depletion through electrolysis.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electro-mechanical positioning system includes an actuator and a control system in communication with the microcontroller.

11. In a reaction chamber configured to retain an ionic solution that can be decomposed by electrolysis, the reaction chamber having an anode array containing a plurality of anodes stationary with respect to one another, and a cathode disposed in the reaction chamber such that the plurality of anodes and the cathode are all in fluid contact through the ionic solution, a method comprising:
a) at a microcontroller programmed with instructions that when executed by the microcontroller cause the microcontroller to control the current applied to each anode of the plurality of anodes, receiving layer slice information about a structure to be fabricated in the reaction chamber layer by layer by electrolytic decomposition of the ionic solution;
b) under the control of the microcontroller, providing to the reaction chamber the ionic solution containing metal ions to be deposited on the cathode according to the received layer slice information for the layer to be fabricated;
c) under the control of the microcontroller, processing the layer slice information for the layer to be fabricated causing the adjusting of the distance between the anode array and the cathode;
d) under the control of the microcontroller, further adjusting the distance between the plurality of anodes and the cathode at a rate proportional to measured values of the electrical current flowing through the plurality of anodes, the cathode or both, the rate of adjusting the distance resulting in a substantially constant distance between the growing layer being deposited on the cathode and the anode array;
(e) under the control of the microcontroller, processing the layer slice information for the layer to be fabricated, depositing the layer to be fabricated on the cathode by providing individualized current to each of the plurality of anodes thereby causing an electrochemical reaction at the cathode to cause the deposition of a unitary layer structure or a series of unitary layer structures; and,
(f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for each layer of the structure to be fabricated until all layers are deposited.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the distance between the anode array and the cathode includes moving the anode array relative to the cathode by using an electro-mechanical positioning system under control of the microcontroller.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the the distance between the anode array and the cathode includes moving the cathode relative to the anode array by using an electro-mechanical positioning system under control of microcontroller.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the the distance between the anode array and the cathode includes moving the cathode and the anode array by using an electro-mechanical positioning system under control of the microcontroller.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein depositing the layer to be fabricated on the cathode includes depositing at least one material selected from group consisting of gold, silver, zinc, Zn/Fe/Co/Ni alloys, copper, nickel, tin, iron, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, polypyrrole, silicon, tungsten carbide MMC, PMC, BNNT Reinforced 316L, and SWCNT/Cu matrix.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the temperature of the ionic solution is maintained between 0° C. and 300° C.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the current applied to the plurality of anodes is maintained between 0.1 A/dm 2 and 1200 A/dm 2 .

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the voltage applied between any single anode and the cathode is maintained between 0.2 V and 7.2 V.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein repeating steps (a) through (e) includes repeated deposits of the same material.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein repeating steps (a) through (e) includes depositing a different material than the first deposition at least once.

Assignees

• Fabric8Labs Inc

Inventors

• Wirth David Morgan
• Pain David Forest
• Herman Jeffrey William

Classifications

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• C25D9/02

  with organic materials · CPC title

• C25D3/40

  from cyanide baths {, e.g. with Cu+} · CPC title

• C25D5/10

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

• C25D3/20

  of iron · CPC title