Fabricating electronic devices with metallized internal structures using 3d printing and microfluidic electroless plating

A method comprising:

• using a 3D printer to print an electronic device comprising embedded microchannels from a dual-curing resin, wherein using the 3D printer to print the electronic device comprises curing the dual-curing resin with ultraviolet (UV) radiation during the printing;
• curing the printed electronic device with thermal radiation;
• applying an intermittent microfluidic electroless plating process to the dual-cured electronic device to coat the embedded microchannels with metal, wherein applying the intermittent microfluidic electroless plating process to the dual-cured electronic device comprises placing the dual-cured electronic device in a mold and while the dual-cured electronic device is in the mold:
• (a) introducing a first cycle of plating solution through an inlet of the mold,
• (b) pumping the first cycle of plating solution through the embedded microchannels,
• (c) pausing the pumping of the first cycle of plating solution,
• (d) introducing a second cycle of plating solution through the inlet of the mold to displace the first cycle of plating solution out an outlet of the mold;
• (e) repeating steps (a)-(d) with subsequent cycles of fresh plating solution.

A microfluidic electroless plating system comprising:

• a fluidly sealed mold;
• a pump fluidly connected to the fluidly sealed mold;
• and
• a controller communicatively connected to the pump, the controller comprising one or more processors and memory storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the microfluidic electroless plating system to:
• (a) introduce a first cycle of plating solution through an inlet of the fluidly sealed mold,
• (b) push, via the pump, the first cycle of plating solution through embedded microchannels of a device placed within the fluidly sealed mold for between 5 and 30 seconds,
• (c) pause the pumping of the first cycle of plating solution for between 10 and 60 seconds,
• (d) introduce a second cycle of plating solution through an inlet of the fluidly sealed mold to displace the first cycle of plating solution out an outlet of the fluidly sealed mold,
• (e) push, via the pump, the second cycle of plating solution through the embedded microchannels of the device for between 5 and 30 seconds,
• (f) pause the pumping of the second cycle of plating solution for between 10 and 60 seconds, and
• (g) introduce a third cycle of plating solution through the inlet of the fluidly sealed mold to displace the second cycle of plating solution out the outlet of the fluidly sealed mold.