Method for producing an aperture plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9981090-B2
Application number	US-201313902096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2013
Priority date	Jun 11, 2012
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A photo-resist is applied in a pattern of vertical columns having the dimensions of holes or pores of the aperture plate to be produced. This mask pattern provides the apertures which define the aerosol particle size, having up to 2500 holes per square mm. There is electro-deposition of metal into the spaces around the columns. There is further application of a second photo-resist mask of much larger (wider and taller) columns, encompassing the area of a number of first columns. The hole diameter in the second plating layer is chosen according to a desired flow rate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing an aperture plate wafer of an aerosol-forming device, the method comprising:
providing a mandrel of conductive material,
applying a first mask over the mandrel in a pattern of first columns,
electroplating around said first columns to provide first electroplated material,
removing the first mask to provide said first electroplated material with aerosol-forming holes where the first columns were,
applying a second mask directly onto said first electroplated material and first columns or aerosol-forming holes, said second mask having second columns which are wider and taller than said first columns and which overlie the area of a plurality of first columns or a plurality of said aerosol-forming holes,
electroplating around said second columns to provide second electroplated material,
removing said second mask to provide spaces where said second columns were, each said space directly overlying a plurality of said aerosol-forming holes, and in which
said second electroplated material completely occludes some of said aerosol-forming holes,
removing said first and second electroplated material from said mandrel so as to form said aperture plate wafer, and
said aperture plate wafer is a two-layer structure comprising only said first and second electroplated material.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first columns have a height in the range of 5 μm to 40 μm.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first columns have a width dimension in the plane of the mandrel in the range of 1 μm to 10 μm.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second electroplating brings the aperture plate wafer thickness to a value in the range of 45 μm to 90 μm.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein applying the first mask and electroplating around said first columns to provide said first electroplated material are performed so that the aerosol-forming holes are tapered in a funnel-shape.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein applying the second mask and electroplating around said second columns to provide said second electroplated material are performed so that the spaces are tapered in a funnel-shape.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first electroplated material and the second electroplated material includes Ni.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first electroplated material and the second electroplated material includes Pd.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein both Ni and Pd are present in at least one of the first electroplated material and the second electroplated material.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein both Ni and Pd are present in at least one of the first electroplated material and the second electroplated material; and
wherein the proportion of Pd is greater than the proportion of Ni.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising processing the aperture plate wafer to provide an aperture plate configured to fit into the aerosol-forming device.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising processing the aperture plate wafer to provide an aperture plate configured to fit into the aerosol-forming device; and
wherein the aperture plate wafer is punched into a non-planar shaped aperture plate.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising processing the aperture plate wafer to provide an aperture plate configured to fit into the aerosol-forming device; and
wherein the aperture plate wafer is punched into a shape having an operative dome-shaped part and a flange for engaging a drive.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising processing the aperture plate wafer to provide an aperture plate configured to fit into the aerosol-forming device;
wherein the aperture plate wafer is punched into a non-planar shaped aperture plate; and
wherein the aperture plate wafer is annealed before punching.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein applying the second mask and electroplating around said second columns to provide said second electroplated material brings the aperture plate wafer thickness to a value above 50 μm.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein applying the second mask and electroplating around said second columns to provide said second electroplated material brings the aperture plate wafer thickness to a value greater than 58 μm.

17. A method of manufacturing an aperture plate wafer of an aerosol-forming device, the method comprising:
providing a mandrel of conductive material,
applying a first mask over the mandrel in a pattern of first columns,
electroplating around said first columns to provide first electroplated material,
applying a second mask directly on said first electroplated material and first columns, said second mask having a plurality of second columns, each of said plurality of second columns being taller than the first columns and overlying a plurality of said first columns;
electroplating around said second columns to provide second electroplated material,
removing said first and second masks to provide aerosol-forming holes where the first columns were and spaces where said second columns were,
and said aperture plate wafer comprises at least said first and second electroplated material, and said aperture plate wafer including a first outer surface and a second outer surface, wherein the spaces extend through the first outer surface and the aerosol-forming holes extend through the second outer surface, and
wherein at least some of said aerosol-forming holes include an opening opposite the second outer surface and which is entirely occluded by the second electroplated material.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the first columns have a height in the range of 5 μm to 40 μm, and wherein the first columns have a width dimension in the plane of the mandrel in the range of 1 μm to 10 μm.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein both Ni and Pd are present in at least one of the first electroplated material and the second electroplated material; and
wherein the proportion of Pd is greater than the proportion of Ni.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17 , further comprising processing the aperture plate wafer to provide an aperture plate configured to fit into the aerosol-forming device.

21. A method of manufacturing an aperture plate wafer of an aerosol-forming device, the method comprising:
providing a mandrel of conductive material,
applying a first mask over the mandrel in a pattern of first columns,
electroplating around said first columns to provide first electroplated material,
applying a second mask directly on said first electroplated material and first columns, said second mask having a plurality of second columns, at least one of said second columns having a width of at least twice a width of one of the first columns and being taller than a height of one of first columns;
electroplating around said second columns to provide second electroplated material,
removing said first and second masks to provide aerosol-forming holes where the first columns were and spaces where said second columns were, and said aperture plate wafer comprises at least said first and second electroplated material;
wherein at least some of the aerosol-forming holes have a first opening directly and entirely occluded by the second electroplated material and a second opening extending through an exterior surface of the

Assignees

• Stamford Devices Ltd

Inventors

• Hogan Brendan

Classifications

• B05B17/0646

  Vibrating plates, i.e. plates being directly subjected to the vibrations, e.g. having a piezoelectric transducer attached thereto · CPC title

• A61M11/005

  using ultrasonics (spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06) · CPC title

• C25D1/08

  Perforated or foraminous objects, e.g. sieves (C25D1/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C25D3/567

  containing more than 50% by weight of platinum group metals · CPC title

• C25D3/50

  of platinum group metals · CPC title