# US 12,005,503 B2 · Build plates for additive manufacturing systems and methods of using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,005,503 B2 - Document ID: US12005503B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/651,921 - Filed: 2022-02-22 - Published: 2022-09-08 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-02 - Assignees: Xerox Corporation - Applicants: Xerox Corporation - Inventors: David K. Biegelsen; Daniel Bullard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005503B2 ## CPC - B22F 12/30: Platforms or substrates - B29C 64/245: Platforms or substrates (support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40) - B22F 10/22: Direct deposition of molten metal - B22F 12/33: translatory in the deposition plane - B29C 64/30: Auxiliary operations or equipment - B29C 64/40: Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - B33Y 40/20: Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing - C23F 1/02: Local etching - C23F 4/00: Processes for removing metallic material from surfaces, not provided for in group C23F1/00 or C23F3/00 - B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy - C23F 1/44: Compositions for etching metallic material from a metallic material substrate of different composition - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - C23F: NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE (working metal by laser beams B23K26/00; desurfacing by applying flames B23K7/00; working of metal by electro-erosion B23H; producing decorative effects by removing surface material, e.g. by engraving, by etching, B44C1/22; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F); INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASS C23 AND AT LEAST ONE PROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25 ## Abstract A build plate is configured for use in a 3D printer. The build plate comprises a base comprising a base material and one or more vacuum channels. A removable plate is disposed proximate the base so as to be in fluid communication with the vacuum channels. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A build plate configured for use in a 3D printer, the build plate comprising: a base; a porous layer positioned on the base; and a removable plate, wherein the removable plate comprises a sacrificial layer, wherein the sacrificial layer comprises one or more protuberances that are integral with the sacrificial layer, wherein the protuberances extend through an entire dimension of the base, and etch stop layer positioned on the sacrificial layer, wherein the etch stop layer is thinner than the sacrificial layer, wherein the etch stop layer has a thickness from about 0.1% to about 10% of a total thickness of the removable plate, wherein the sacrificial layer has a thickness from about 90% to about 99.9% of the removable plate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The build plate of claim 1, wherein the sacrificial layer comprises at least one sacrificial material chosen from a metal and metal oxide. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The build plate of claim 2, wherein the sacrificial material is disposed between the etch stop layer and the base. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The build plate of claim 3, wherein the etch stop layer comprises one or more materials chosen from gold, gold alloys, silver, silver alloys, platinum, platinum alloys, chromium, chromium alloys, chromium oxides, brass, copper, copper alloys, copper oxides and iron oxide. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The build plate of claim 1, wherein the removable plate comprises a support layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The build plate of claim 1, wherein the porous layer comprises a porous network disposed proximate to, and being in fluid communication with, the one or more vacuum channels. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The build plate of claim 6, wherein the base material comprises a first metal and the porous layer comprises a second metal, the first metal and the second metal being the same or different and being independently chosen from aluminum, aluminum alloys, brass, bronze, chromium, chromium alloys, cobalt, cobalt alloys, cobalt-chrome alloys, copper, copper alloys, iron, iron alloys, nickel, nickel alloys, nickel-titanium alloys, stainless steel, tin, tin alloys, titanium, titanium alloys, gold, gold alloys, silver, silver alloys, molybdenum, molybdenum alloys, tungsten and tungsten alloys. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The build plate of claim 7, wherein the removable plate further comprises a sacrificial material, the sacrificial material being different than one or both of the first metal and the second metal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The build plate of claim 8, wherein the sacrificial material is a metal or metal oxide chosen from copper, copper alloys, copper oxide, tantalum, tantalum alloys, aluminum, aluminum alloys, chromium, chromium alloys, gallium, gallium alloys, germanium, germanium alloys, gold, gold alloys, hafnium, hafnium alloys, indium, indium alloys, indium tin oxide, iron, iron alloys, iron oxide, magnesium, magnesium oxide, niobium, niobium alloys, nichrome, nickel, nickel alloys, palladium, palladium alloys, tin, tin alloys, titanium, titanium alloys, tungsten and tungsten alloys. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The build plate of claim 6, wherein the porous layer further comprises a non-porous sidewall disposed proximate the periphery of the porous layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The build plate of claim 6, wherein the porous layer is removably disposed on the base, the porous layer further comprising one or more handles. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The build plate of claim 1, wherein the removable plate has a thickness, the thickness ranging from about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The build plate of claim 1, wherein the removable plate comprises a material having a Young's modulus ranging from about 50 to about 300 GPa. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The build plate of claim 1, wherein the etch stop layer etches more slowly than the sacrificial layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The build plate of claim 1, wherein the sacrificial layer is configured to be removed using an electromechanical etch with a first voltage, and wherein the etch stop layer is configured to be removed with an electromechanical etch with a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage. ### Claim 16 A three-dimensional (3D) printer, comprising: a printhead; a stage disposed proximal the printhead, the stage comprising a build plate, the build plate comprising: a base comprising a base material and defining one or more vacuum channels therethrough; a porous layer positioned on the base; and a removable plate positioned on the porous layer, wherein the removable plate comprises a sacrificial layer positioned on the porous layer, and an etch stop layer positioned on the sacrificial layer, wherein the etch stop layer is thinner than the sacrificial layer, wherein the sacrificial layer comprises one or more protuberances that are integral with the sacrificial layer, wherein the protuberances extend through an entire dimension of the base, and wherein the removable plate is configured to be detachably coupled to the base using vacuum pressure supplied through the one or more vacuum channels and the porous layer; and a computer controlled motion system that allows the printhead and the stage to move in three dimensions relative to each other during operation of the 3D printer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The 3D printer of claim 16, wherein the sacrificial layer comprises at least one sacrificial material chosen from a metal and metal oxide. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The 3D printer of claim 17, wherein sacrificial layer is disposed between the etch stop layer and the base. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The 3D printer of claim 16, wherein the porous layer comprises a porous network disposed proximate to, and being in fluid communication with, the one or more vacuum channels. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The 3D printer of claim 16, wherein a porosity of the porous layer is from about 1 vol % to about 80 vol %. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The 3D printer of claim 16, wherein the porous layer comprises a porous network through which the vacuum pressure is communicated, and wherein the one or more channels are not defined in the porous layer. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The 3D printer of claim 14, wherein the porous layer is coupled to the base using one or more mechanical fasteners, and wherein the removable plate is not coupled to the base or the porous layer using the one or more mechanical fasteners.