Three-dimensional electrochemical manufacturing and sensing system and related methods

Abstract

An electrochemical system includes at least one electrochemical cell with a receptacle containing an electrolytic bath in which is disposed a counter electrode. At least one nozzle opens from the receptacle toward and proximate a substrate configured as a working electrode. The at least one electrochemical cell is selectively configurable between a configuration for electrodeposition of a material onto the substrate and a configuration for electrodissolution of material from a structure on the substrate. In a method of using an electrochemical cell, a metal salt—of the electrolytic bath—is flowed through the nozzle in the presence of at least one of a voltage difference and a current flow between the working electrode and the counter electrode. The system may be configured for relative movement between the at least one nozzle and the substrate, and the electrochemical cell(s) may be usable for any of electrodeposition, electrodissolution, and electrochemical sensing.

1 . An electrochemical system comprising:
 at least one electrochemical cell comprising:
 a receptacle containing an electrolytic bath; 
 at least one nozzle opening from the receptacle toward and proximate a substrate configured as a working electrode of the at least one electrochemical cell; and 
 a counter electrode disposed in the electrolytic bath, 
   the at least one electrochemical cell selectively configurable between a configuration for electrodeposition of material to form a structure on the substrate and a configuration for electrodissolution of material from the structure on the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The electrochemical system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of an electromechanical arm and an XYZ platform configured to control relative movement between the at least one nozzle and the substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The electrochemical system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one controller configured to apply a current or voltage to the counter electrode and the substrate configured as the working electrode. 
     
     
         4 . The electrochemical system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolytic bath comprises an ionic liquid and at least one a nuclear fuel material salt dissolved in the ionic liquid. 
     
     
         5 . The electrochemical system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolytic bath comprises an ionic liquid and at least one of a uranium salt and a zirconium salt dissolved in the ionic liquid. 
     
     
         6 . The electrochemical system of  claim 1 , further comprising a heater disposed about the at least one nozzle, the substrate, or both. 
     
     
         7 . The electrochemical system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the receptacle and the substrate are movable in three dimensions. 
     
     
         8 . The electrochemical system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical system comprises a plurality of the electrochemical cells, each electrolytic bath of the electrochemical cells having a different chemical composition. 
     
     
         9 . The electrochemical system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical system further comprises a plurality of controllers, the plurality of controllers comprising:
 at least one controller configured to control a voltage difference and a current flow between the counter electrode and the substrate configured as the working electrode; and   at least one other controller configured to control movement of the at least one nozzle over the substrate.   
     
     
         10 . The electrochemical system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one nozzle is movable in three dimensions relative to the substrate. 
     
     
         11 . A method of using an electrochemical cell, comprising:
 providing an electrolytic bath in a receptacle, the electrolytic bath comprising a metal salt;   disposing a counter electrode at least partially within the electrolytic bath;   coupling the counter electrode to a working electrode; and   in the presence of at least one of a voltage difference and a current flow between the working electrode and the counter electrode, flowing the metal salt through a nozzle coupled to the receptacle.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein flowing the metal salt through the nozzle coupled to the receptacle comprises flowing the metal salt from the electrolytic bath, through the nozzle, and to the working electrode to form a structure comprising a metal of the metal salt, wherein the working electrode serves as a cathode, and wherein the counter electrode serves as an anode. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein flowing the metal salt through the nozzle coupled to the receptacle comprises flowing the metal salt from a structure on the working electrode, through the nozzle, through the electrolytic bath, and to the counter electrode, to form a recess in the structure on the working electrode, wherein the working electrode serves as an anode, and wherein the counter electrode serves as a cathode. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein flowing the metal salt through the nozzle comprises:
 flowing the metal salt through the nozzle toward the working electrode to electrodeposit a metal on the working electrode; and   thereafter, flowing the metal salt from the metal on the working electrode through the nozzle to deposit the metal on the counter electrode within the receptacle.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising measuring at least one of the voltage difference and the current flow to identify a composition of at least one of the counter electrode, the electrolytic bath, and a structure on the working electrode. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the metal salt comprises uranium or plutonium. 
     
     
         17 . A method for manufacturing a metal structure, comprising:
 providing an electrochemical system, the electrochemical system comprising:
 at least one electrochemical cell comprising a nozzle connected to a receptacle containing an electrolytic bath; and 
 a counter electrode at least partially within the electrolytic bath and coupled to a working electrode toward which the nozzle is directed; and 
   removing metal material from the working electrode or from a structure on the working electrode, the removing comprising applying an electric potential difference between the working electrode and the counter electrode to migrate metal salt ions from the working electrode or from the structure on the working electrode, through the nozzle into the electrolytic bath within the receptacle, to the counter electrode.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising, while removing the metal material from the working electrode or from the structure on the working electrode, moving at least one of the nozzle and the working electrode relative to one another to form a recess in the working electrode or the structure on the working electrode. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein moving the at least one of the nozzle and the working electrode relative to one another comprises moving the at least one of the nozzle and the working electrode in more than one axial direction. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising, electrodepositing the metal material on the working electrode or on the structure on the working electrode, the electrodepositing comprising reversing a direction of current flow between the working electrode and the counter electrode to migrate the metal salt ions away from the counter electrode, through the nozzle, toward the working electrode.