Electrochemical three-dimensional printing and soldering
AssigneeUniversity of South Florida
InventorsArash Takshi, Sabrina Marie Rosa-Ortiz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle includes a nozzle tip configured to interface with a portion of a substructure. The nozzle also includes an inner coaxial tube connected to a reservoir containing an electrolyte and an anode, the inner coaxial tube configured to dispense the electrolyte through the nozzle tip onto the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes an outer coaxial tube encompassing the inner coaxial tube, the outer coaxial tube configured to extract the electrolyte from the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes at least one contact pin configured to make electrical contact with a conductive track on the substrate.
Claims16
A method of localized electroplating using a hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle comprising two contact pins, the method comprising:
- printing a conductive track on a substructure;
- positioning a tip of the hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle at a predetermined distance above the substructure, wherein the predetermined distance ensures at least one contact pin of the two contact pins of the hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle makes electrical contact with the conductive track;
- applying, with the hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle, a predetermined voltage between the two contact pins of the hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle such that a potential profile is generated along the conductive track to grow a metal on the conductive track;
- moving the hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle along the conductive track to metallize the conductive track;
- placing a surface mount electronic device (SMD) having a terminal on the substructure;
- positioning a tip of the hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle above a gap between the conductive track and the terminal of the SMD and at the predetermined distance above the substructure, wherein the predetermined distance ensures that a first contact pin of the two contact pins makes electrical contact with the conductive track;
- and
- applying, with the hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle, a predetermined voltage via at least the first contact pin to grow a metal between the conductive track and the terminal of the SMD.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.