Electrochemical fabrication method and apparatus for producing three-dimensional structures having improved surface finish

Abstract

An electrochemical fabrication process produces three-dimensional structures (e.g. components or devices) from a plurality of layers of deposited materials wherein the formation of at least some portions of some layers are produced by operations that remove material or condition selected surfaces of a deposited material. In some embodiments, removal or conditioning operations are varied between layers or between different portions of a layer such that different surface qualities are obtained. In other embodiments varying surface quality may be obtained without varying removal or conditioning operations but instead by relying on differential interaction between removal or conditioning operations and different materials encountered by these operations.

We claim:  
     
         1 . An electrochemical fabrication process for producing a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers, the process comprising: 
 (A) supplying a plurality of preformed masks, wherein each mask comprises a patterned conformable dielectric material that includes at least one opening through which deposition can take place during the formation of at least a portion of a layer, and wherein each mask comprises a support structure that supports the patterned conformable dielectric material;    (B) selectively depositing at least a portion of a layer onto the substrate, wherein the substrate may comprise previously deposited material;    (C) forming a plurality of layers such that each successive layer is formed adjacent to and adhered to a previously deposited layer, wherein said forming comprises repeating operation (B) a plurality of times;    wherein at least a plurality of the selective depositing operations comprise 
 (1) contacting the substrate and the conformable material of a selected preformed mask;  
 (2) in presence of a plating solution, conducting an electric current through the at least one opening in the selected mask between an anode and the substrate, wherein the anode comprises a selected deposition material, and wherein the substrate functions as a cathode, such that the selected deposition material is deposited onto the substrate to form at least a portion of a layer; and  
 (3) separating the selected preformed mask from the substrate; and  
   (D) removing material deposited on at least one layer using a first removal process that comprises one or more operations having one or more parameters; and    (E) removing material deposited on at least one different layer using a second removal process that comprises one or more operations having one or more parameters,    wherein the first removal process differs from the second removal process by inclusion of at least one different operation or at least one different parameter.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the first and second removal processes comprise lapping operations, and wherein one of the removal processes comprises a lapping operation that uses a finer abrasive than that used by the other removal process.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the first and second removal processes comprise lapping operations, and wherein one of the removal processes comprises one or more additional lapping operations than does the other removal process.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein one of the first or second removal processes comprises a finer removal process than the other removal process.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4  wherein the finer removal process results in a surface with mirror-like optical properties.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 4  wherein the finer removal process is used after deposition of material for a final layer of the structure.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 4  wherein the finer removal process is used after deposition of material for an intermediate layer of the structure.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 5  wherein the mirror-like properties exist on a surface of the structure that undergoes a removal process.  
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 5  wherein the mirror-like properties exist on a surface of the structure that did not undergo a removal process but instead acquired the mirror-like properties as a result of deposition of material onto a mirror-like surface.  
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the formation of a plurality of layers includes the deposition of at least a second material.  
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10  wherein the second material is a structural material and the selected deposition material is a sacrificial material  
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first and second removal processes comprises CMP.  
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first or second removal processes comprise multiple lapping operations where at least two different abrasives are used.  
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13  wherein use of a rougher abrasive on a given layer is followed by use of a finer abrasive.  
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 13  wherein use of a finer abrasive is followed by use of a rougher abrasive  
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15  wherein finer abrasive is used for a longer time than the rougher abrasive.  
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 1  wherein depositions associated with at least one or more layers are subjected to a third removal process that is different from both the first and second removal processes.  
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the conformable material comprises an elastomeric material.  
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 11  wherein at least one of the removal processes involves use of a selective etchant that attacks either the sacrificial material or the structural material but not both.  
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the removal processes involves use of an electropolishing process.  
     
     
         21 . An electrochemical fabrication apparatus for producing a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers, the apparatus comprising: 
 (A) a plurality of preformed masks, wherein each mask comprises a patterned conformable dielectric material that includes at least one opening through which deposition can take place during the formation of at least a portion of a layer, and wherein each mask comprises a support structure that supports the patterned conformable dielectric material;    (B) means for selectively depositing at least a portion of a layer onto the substrate, wherein the substrate may comprise previously deposited material; and    (C) means for forming a plurality of layers such that each successive layer is formed adjacent to and adhered to a previously deposited layer, wherein said forming comprises repeating operation (B)a plurality of times;    wherein the means for selectively depositing comprises 
 (1) means for contacting the substrate and the conformable material of a selected preformed mask;  
 (2) means for conducting, in presence of a plating solution, an electric current through the at least one opening in the selected mask between an anode and the substrate, wherein the anode comprises a selected deposition material, and wherein the substrate functions as a cathode, such that the selected deposition material is deposited onto the substrate to form at least a portion of a layer; and  
 (3) means for separating the selected preformed mask from the substrate; and  
   (D) means for removing material deposited on at least one layer using a first removal process that comprises one or more operations having one or more parameters; and    (E) means for removing material deposited on at least one different layer using a second removal process that comprises one or more operations having one or more parameters,    wherein the first removal process differs from the second removal process by inclusion of at least one different operation or at least one different parameter.    
     
     
         22 . An electrochemical fabrication process for producing a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers, the process comprising: 
 (A) forming at least a portion of a layer by either selectively depositing a material, to form portion of a layer, onto a substrate or by selectively etching into a previously deposited material that occupies at least a portion of a layer and then depositing a material into an opening formed by the selective etching, wherein the substrate may comprise previously deposited layers of material;    (B) forming a plurality of layers such that subsequent layers are formed adjacent to and adhered to previously deposited layers;    (C) finishing a surface of at least a portion of one or more materials deposited on at least one layer using a first process that comprises one or more operations having one or more parameters; and    (E) finishing a surface of at least a portion of one or more materials deposited on at least one different layer using a second process that comprises one or more operations having one or more parameters,    wherein the first process differs from the second process by inclusion of at least one different operation, removal of at least one operation, or use of at least one different parameter value.    
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 22  wherein a determination of a finishing operation or parameter for finishing at least one layer or of the at least one different layer is at least in part determined from a relationship between portions of one layer and portions of an adjacent layer.  
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 22  wherein a mask is used to define at least one opening which exposes a surface that is to undergo a selected finishing operation and where unexposed portions of the surface define a portion of the surface that is not to undergo the selected finishing operation.  
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 23  wherein the relationship involves a determination of whether portions of a structural material are outward facing.  
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 25  wherein the outward facing portion is up-facing and a build orientation comprises forming subsequent layers above previously formed layers.  
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 25  wherein the outward facing portion is down-facing and a build orientation comprises forming subsequent layers above previously formed layers.  
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 25  wherein the outward facing portion is up-facing and a build orientation comprises forming subsequent layers below previously formed layers.  
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 25  wherein the outward facing portion is down-facing and a build orientation comprises forming subsequent layers below previously formed layers.  
     
     
         30 . An electrochemical fabrication process for producing a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers, the process comprising: 
 (A) forming at least a portion of a layer by either selectively depositing a material, to form portion of a layer, onto a substrate or by selectively etching into a previously deposited material that occupies at least a portion of a layer and then depositing a material into an opening formed by the selective etching, wherein the substrate may comprise previously deposited layers of material;    (B) forming a plurality of layers such that subsequent layers are formed adjacent to and adhered to previously deposited layers;    (C) finishing a surface of at least a portion of one or more materials deposited on at least one layer using a first process that comprises one or more operations having one or more parameters; and    (E) finishing a surface of at least a portion of one or more materials deposited on the at least one layer using a second process that comprises one or more operations having one or more parameters,    wherein the portions subject to the first and second processes are not identical and wherein the first process differs from the second process by inclusion of at least one different operation, removal of at least one operation, or use of at least one different parameter value.    
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 30  wherein the first process acts upon a portion of the at least one layer and the second process acts upon a portion of the at least one layer that includes a region not acted upon by the first process.  
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 30  wherein the first process acts upon a portion of the at least one layer and the second process acts upon a portion of the at least one layer that is exclusive of the portion acted upon by the first process.  
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 30  a determination of which portion of the at least one layer is to be undergo finishing using the first process or using the second process is at least in part determined from a relationship between portions of the at least one layer and portions of an adjacent layer.  
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 30  wherein a mask is used to define at least one opening which exposes a surface that is to undergo a selected finishing operation and where unexposed portions of the surface define a portion of the surface that is not to undergo the selected finishing operation.  
     
     
         35 . The process of  claim 31  wherein the relationship involves a determination of whether portions of a structural material are outward facing.  
     
     
         36 . The process of  claim 35  wherein the outward facing portion is up-facing and a build orientation comprises forming subsequent layers above previously formed layers.  
     
     
         37 . The process of  claim 35  wherein the outward facing portion is down-facing and a build orientation comprises forming subsequent layers above previously formed layers.  
     
     
         38 . The process of  claim 35  wherein the outward facing portion is up-facing and a build orientation comprises forming subsequent layers below previously formed layers.  
     
     
         39 . The process of  claim 35  wherein the outward facing portion is down-facing and a build orientation comprises forming subsequent layers below previously formed layers.  
     
     
         40 . The process of  claim 35  wherein the relationship involves a determination of whether portions of a structural material continue from one layer to a subsequent layer.  
     
     
         41 . The process of  claim 35  wherein the relationship involves a determination of whether portions of a sacrificial material continue from one layer to a subsequent layer.