Direct write additive manufacturing of ionic materials
AssigneePenny Precision LLC
InventorRyan Wade Penny
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Abstract
Methods and systems for direct-write liquid phase epitaxy of ionic materials are provided for herein, and relate to the manufacture of metal halide optics among other applications. Deposition of the ionic material is induced by mixing at least two fluids of differing composition, wherein the solubility limit of the ionic material in the mixed solution is lower than predicted from a linear combination of the original fluids. This deposition process is spatially controlled using a printhead, enabling localized material deposition and the ability to create arbitrary geometries in turn. In some cases, at least one of the fluids is saturated with the ionic material and surrounds the substrate upon which deposition occurs.
Claims9
A method for additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object from an ionic material, comprising:
- determining a composition of a first fluid, the first fluid having a first solubility limit, and a composition of a second fluid, the second fluid having a second solubility limit;
- wherein at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid further comprises the ionic material at a concentration below the first solubility limit in the first fluid or below the second solubility limit in the second fluid,
- providing a substrate submerged in the first fluid;
- generating a recipe, the recipe defining locations where a volume of a second fluid should be dispensed from a printhead to deposit the ionic material on the substrate to create the three-dimensional object;
- communicating the recipe to a controller, the controller generating commands for a motion system for moving the printhead along a printhead trajectory with respect to the three-dimensional object and commands to actuate the printhead;
- dispensing the volume of the second fluid from the printhead in accordance with the recipe, the volume of the second fluid and a portion of the first fluid forming a mixing zone and the mixing zone having a third solubility limit, by operating the printhead in accordance with the recipe;
- wherein the volume of the ionic material supplied by the portion of the first fluid and the volume of the second fluid exceeds the third solubility limit, causing a portion of the ionic material in the mixing zone to form a deposit on the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.