Method For Electrochemical Fabrication
OwnerAdam Coheninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electroplating method that includes: a) contacting a first substrate with a first article, which includes a substrate and a conformable mask disposed in a pattern on the substrate; b) electroplating a first metal from a source of metal ions onto the first substrate in a first pattern, the first pattern corresponding to the complement of the conformable mask pattern; and c) removing the first article from the first substrate, is disclosed. Electroplating articles and electroplating apparatus are also disclosed.
Claims26
A method for fabricating a multi-layer three-dimensional structure, comprising:
- (i) forming a first layer, comprising:
- a) providing a first mask in contact with a substrate, wherein the mask has a first pattern of openings therein;
- b) depositing a first pattern of a first material from a source of the first material onto said substrate using the first mask to form a portion of a first layer, wherein the first material comprises a sacrificial material or a structural material;
- c) removing the first mask from the substrate;
- d) depositing a second material onto the substrate, wherein the second material comprises the other of a structural material or a sacrificial material;
- (ii) building additional layers adjacent to and adhered to previously formed layers;
- and
- (iii) removing undesired elements of structural material from at least the first layer via etching or electropolishing.
A method for fabricating a multi-layer three-dimensional structure, comprising:
- (i) forming a first layer, comprising:
- a) providing a first mask in contact with a substrate, wherein the mask has a first pattern of openings therein;
- b) depositing a first pattern of a first material from a source of the first material onto said substrate using the first mask to form a portion of a first layer;
- c) removing the first mask from the substrate;
- d) providing a second mask in contact with the substrate, and/or first material, wherein the mask has a second pattern of openings therein;
- e) etching a void, having a second pattern, into the substrate and/or the first material using the second mask;
- f) removing the second mask from the substrate and/or first material;
- g) depositing a second material into the void;
- and
- (ii) building layers adjacent to and adhered to previously formed layers,
- wherein at least one of first or second materials is a structural material and removing an undesired portion of the structural material via an etching or electropolishing operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.