Method for Electrochemical Fabrication
AssigneeUniversity of Southern California
InventorAdam L. Cohen
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.
Claims17
A method for forming a three-dimensional structure, comprising:
- (A) forming a plurality of successively formed layers, wherein each successive layer comprises at least two materials and is formed on and adhered to a previously formed layer, one of the at least two materials is a structural material and the other of the at least two materials is a sacrificial material, and wherein each successive layer defines a successive cross-section of the three-dimensional structure, and wherein the forming of each of the plurality of successive layers comprises:
- (i) depositing a first of the at least two materials;
- (ii) depositing a second of the at least two materials;
- (iii) planarizing the first and second materials to set a boundary level for the layer;
- and
- (B) after the forming of the plurality of successive layers, separating at least a portion of the sacrificial material from multiple layers of the structural material to reveal the three-dimensional structure,
- wherein the forming of each of at least one given layer of the layers additionally comprises planarizing the first of the at least two materials prior to depositing the second of the at least two materials.
The method of claim 21 wherein during formation of the at least one given layer, the step of depositing the first of the at least two materials comprises depositing a structural material.
The method of claim 21 wherein during the formation of the at least one given layer the at least two materials comprise at least three materials.
The method of claim 24 wherein during the formation of the at least one given layer the at least three materials comprise at least three different electroplated materials.
A method for forming a three-dimensional structure, comprising:
- (A) forming a plurality of successively formed layers, wherein each successive layer comprises at least two materials and is formed on and adhered to a previously formed layer, one of the at least two materials is a structural material and the other of the at least two materials is a sacrificial material, and wherein each successive layer defines a successive cross-section of the three-dimensional structure, and wherein the forming of each of the plurality of successive layers comprises:
- (i) depositing a first of the at least two materials;
- (ii) depositing a second of the at least two materials;
- (iii) planarizing the first and second materials to set a boundary level for the layer;
- and
- (B) after the forming of the plurality of successive layers, separating at least a portion of the sacrificial material from multiple layers of the structural material to reveal the multi-element three-dimensional structure,
- wherein during formation of at least one given layer, an additional planarization is performed prior to the planarizing of the first and second materials that sets a boundary level for the given layer and is separated from the planarizing of the first and second materials by at least one non-planarization operation.
An electroplating method for fabricating a multi-layer three-dimensional structure, comprising:
- (i) forming a first layer comprising depositing at least a first structural material and at least a first sacrificial material and planarizing the at least one deposited first structural material and the at least one deposited first sacrificial material to set a boundary level of the first layer;
- (ii) forming additional layers with an initial additional layer formed on and adhered to the first layer and with subsequent additional layers formed on and adhered to previously formed additional layers, wherein the forming of each additional layer comprises depositing at least one additional structural material and depositing at least one additional sacrificial material and planarizing the at least one deposited additional structural material and the at least one additional sacrificial material to set a boundary level for each additional layer;
- and
- (iii) removing at least a portion of the at least one sacrificial material deposited on a plurality of layers after formation of the additional layers to at least partially release the three-dimensional structure from the sacrificial material,
- wherein the forming of a given one of the layers, further comprises an additional planarization step which is performed prior to the planarizing of the first and second materials that sets the upper boundary level for the given layer and is separated from the planarizing of the first and second materials that sets the upper boundary level for the layer by at least one non-planarization operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.