Electrochemically Fabricated Structures Having Dielectric or Active Bases and Methods of and Apparatus for Producing Such Structures

摘要

Multilayer structures are electrochemically fabricated on a temporary (e.g. conductive) substrate and are thereafter bonded to a permanent (e.g. dielectric, patterned, multi-material, or otherwise functional) substrate and removed from the temporary substrate. In some embodiments, the structures are formed from top layer to bottom layer, such that the bottom layer of the structure becomes adhered to the permanent substrate, while in other embodiments the structures are formed from bottom layer to top layer and then a double substrate swap occurs. The permanent substrate may be a solid that is bonded (e.g. by an adhesive) to the layered structure or it may start out as a flowable material that is solidified adjacent to or partially surrounding a portion of the structure with bonding occurring during solidification. The multilayer structure may be released from a sacrificial material prior to attaching the permanent substrate or it may be released after attachment.

主权项

1. A fabrication process for producing a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered multi-material layers, the process comprising:
(A) forming a plurality of layers such that successive layers are formed adjacent to and adhered to previously formed layers and wherein a first layer is formed adjacent to and adhered to a temporary substrate, wherein said forming of each of the plurality of layers comprises:
i) depositing at least one sacrificial material,ii) depositing at least one structural material, andiii) planarizing the at least one sacrificial material and the at least one structural material to set a boundary level of each layer; (B) after formation of at least two layers of the plurality of layers, attaching a structural substrate comprising a dielectric material to at least a portion of at least one layer of the structure and removing at least a portion of the temporary substrate from the structure; (C) before or after attaching the structural substrate, or before or after removing the temporary substrate, removing sacrificial material from a plurality of layers to release the three-dimensional structure which is formed from the structural material.