Direct-liquid type three-dimensional micro-structure precise electroforming part and using method of direct-liquid type three-dimensional micro-structure precise electroforming part

Abstract

The invention discloses a direct-liquid type three-dimensional micro-structure precision electroforming part and a using method thereof, and relates to the technical field of micro electroforming, and the direct-liquid type three-dimensional micro-structure precision electroforming part comprises an exhaust valve, a sealing plug, a liquid storage pipe, an electrode wire, an electrode conduit, a conductive substrate, a power supply and the like. According to the device, through an innovative electrolyte supply and flow regulation mechanism, accurate motion control is achieved by externally connecting an XYZ three-coordinate precise micro-motion platform, and meanwhile fine regulation and control over electrolyte flowing are achieved; and the electrode wire is subjected to hydrophilic treatment, so that the electrolyte can slowly flow into the cathode substrate. According to the method, the distance between the electrode wire and the conductive substrate and the moving track of the electrode wire in the XY plane are accurately controlled, the metal structure is constructed layer by layer, the high-precision and high-aspect-ratio three-dimensional structure is formed, and the method has the advantages of being high in positioning precision, good in localization, high in surface quality, low in cost and the like; and an efficient and low-cost three-dimensional structure processing solution is provided for the field of micro-electroforming.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of micro-electroforming, and in particular to a direct liquid type three-dimensional micro-structure precision electroforming component and a use method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Micro-electroforming is a technology for manufacturing three-dimensional structures at the micron scale. It builds metal structures layer by layer on a conductive substrate by electrochemical deposition. Traditional micro-electroforming technology usually uses a droplet or immersion method for metal deposition, which has many limitations. Droplet-type micro-electroforming relies on a droplet generator to precisely control the dripping position and frequency of the electrolyte. This method is easily affected by environmental vibrations, temperature changes and other factors, resulting in unstable deposition rates and difficulty in ensuring uniformity and accuracy. Although immersion-type micro-electroforming can provide a relatively stable deposition environment, it is limited by the size of the pipette diameter and is difficult to process complex three-dimensional structures of tiny sizes. In addition, the large-scale use and replacement of electrolytes increases costs and environmental burdens.

[0003] In addition, existing technologies have challenges in controlling the flow and distribution of electrolytes. Especially in the manufacture of high-precision, high-aspect-ratio three-dimensional structures, the uneven flow and impact of electrolytes can lead to uneven thickness of the deposited layer and significant edge effects, affecting the quality and performance of the final product. Therefore, it is particularly important to develop a micro-electroforming method and device that can accurately control the flow of electrolytes, achieve stable and uniform deposition, and adapt to the processing of three-dimensional structures of different shapes and sizes. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a direct liquid type three-dimensional microstructure precision electroforming component and its use method. The device has a simple structure. By hydrophilizing the electrode wire, the electrolyte is wrapped on the electrode wire and slowly flows into the cathode substrate. At the same time, the device does not require the processing of micrometer-level or nanometer-level pipettes. Through the innovative electrolyte supply and flow regulation mechanism, combined with the precise motion control of the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform, the fine control of the electrolyte flow is achieved, the stability of the deposition process and the molding accuracy are improved, and it has good localization, high positioning accuracy and excellent molding quality, providing an efficient and low-cost three-dimensional structure processing solution for the field of micro-electroforming.

[0005] In view of the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a direct liquid three-dimensional microstructure precision electroforming component, including an exhaust valve, a sealing plug, a liquid storage tube, an electrode wire, an electrode catheter, a conductive substrate, and a power supply; the sealing plug is detachably fixedly installed on the upper part of the liquid storage tube; the lower part of the liquid storage tube is open and an electrode catheter is fixedly connected to the opening; an opening is provided in the center of the sealing plug; the upper part of the electrode wire is detachably fixedly installed in the opening in the center of the sealing plug; the lower part of the electrode wire passes through the lower opening of the liquid storage tube and the electrode catheter in turn; an exhaust hole is provided on the sealing plug; the exhaust valve is fixedly installed Installed on the sealing plug and connected with the exhaust hole; the upper part of the electrode wire is electrically connected to the positive electrode of the power supply; the conductive substrate is electrically connected to the negative electrode of the power supply; the power supply is used to provide the voltage and current required for electrochemical deposition; the axis of the electrode wire is perpendicular to the surface of the conductive substrate; the liquid storage tube is filled with electrolyte; there is a gap fit between the lower part of the electrode wire and the electrode conduit for the circulation of the electrolyte; the shape of the part of the lower part of the electrode wire extending outside the electrode conduit is stepped or conical; the outer surface of the part of the lower part of the electrode wire extending outside the electrode conduit is provided with a hydrophilic layer; the hydrophilic layer is used to make the circulating electrolyte form a uniform laminar flow.

[0006] Preferably, the diameter of the exhaust hole is 1-2 mm; the exhaust valve is used to accurately control the air permeability between the outside and the inside of the liquid storage tube, and the air permeability does not exceed 50 ml / min.

[0007] Preferably, the diameter of the central opening of the sealing plug is 50-150 μm; the sealing plug is made of elastic rubber material.

[0008] Preferably, the liquid storage tube is made of glass or plastic and is corrosion-resistant; the outer diameter of the liquid storage tube is 10-20 mm; and the length of the liquid storage tube is 50-100 mm.

[0009] Preferably, the electrode wire is made of an inert conductive material; the inert conductive material is platinum, titanium or graphite; the diameter of the electrode wire is 100-200 μm; and the diameter of the lower end of the electrode wire is 0.1-50 μm.

[0010] Preferably, the length of the electrode catheter is 100 μm; and the single-side gap between the electrode catheter and the electrode wire is 30-50 μm.

[0011] The present invention also proposes a method for using a direct liquid three-dimensional microstructure precision electroforming component, comprising the following steps: S1: Add an appropriate amount of electrolyte into the liquid storage tube, and pass the upper part of the electrode wire through the electrode guide tube, the liquid storage tube and the sealing plug in sequence; S2: Slightly open the exhaust valve to allow the electrolyte to flow down slowly under the action of gravity and surface tension, forming a thin electrolyte liquid layer on the surface of the hydrophilic layer at the bottom of the electrode wire; S3: Connect the liquid storage tube to the Z-axis driving part of the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform, and connect the conductive substrate to the XY plane driving part of the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform; S4: By precisely controlling the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform, the distance between the end surface of the lower part of the electrode wire and the conductive substrate is 1-5μm; S5: Turn on the power supply, the electrolyte liquid layer flows downward until it contacts the conductive substrate, forming a liquid bridge, and the metal ions in the electrolyte undergo a reduction reaction under the action of the power supply and precipitate metal atoms, which accumulate on the conductive substrate; S6: After 2-10 seconds, a dot-shaped deposited metal is formed on the conductive substrate, and the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform controls the electrode wire to move a predetermined distance in the XY plane, so that the electrode wire moves to above the deposition point of the next deposited metal; S7: repeating steps S5 and S6 until the deposition of the first layer of deposited metal is completed; S8: Control the electrode wire to rise upward along the Z-axis direction through the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform until the distance from the end surface of the lower part of the electrode wire to the upper surface of the uppermost deposited metal is 1-5 μm; S9: Turn on the power supply, the electrolyte liquid layer flows downward until it contacts the topmost deposited metal layer, forming a liquid bridge, and the metal ions in the electrolyte undergo a reduction reaction under the action of the power supply and precipitate metal atoms, which accumulate on the topmost deposited metal layer; S10: After 2-10 seconds, a dot-shaped deposited metal is formed on the top deposited metal layer, and the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform controls the electrode wire to move a predetermined distance in the XY plane, so that the electrode wire moves to above the deposition point of the next deposited metal; S11: repeating steps S9 and S10 until the deposition of the current layer of deposited metal is completed; S12: Repeat steps S8 to S11 until the deposition of the Nth layer (N is an integer greater than 2) of deposited metal is completed to form a three-dimensional microstructure.

[0012] Preferably, the predetermined distance is 0.1-50 μm.

[0013] Preferably, the height of the liquid bridge is 1-5 μm.

[0014] Preferably, when the number of deposited metal layers is 1, steps S1 to S7 are used to obtain the final three-dimensional microstructure; when the number of deposited metal layers is 2, steps S1 to S11 are used to obtain the final three-dimensional microstructure; when the number of deposited metal layers is greater than 2, steps S1 to S12 are used to obtain the final three-dimensional microstructure.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: (1) the slow laminar flow of electrolyte along the hydrophilic layer on the lower surface of the electrode wire can not only effectively prevent the stray deposition caused by the diffusion of metal ions, but also reduce the consumption and waste of electrolyte, which is more conducive to environmental protection; (2) the positioning accuracy is high, the localization is good, and the surface quality is high; (3) the structure is simple and does not require the processing of micron- or nano-scale pipettes, which significantly reduces the processing difficulty and cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0017] In the figure: 1-exhaust valve; 2-exhaust hole; 3-sealing plug; 4-liquid storage tube; 5-electrolyte; 6-electrode wire; 7-electrode catheter; 8-hydrophilic layer; 9-deposited metal; 10-conductive substrate; 11-power supply. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and through specific implementation methods, wherein the accompanying drawings are only used for exemplary descriptions and represent only schematic diagrams rather than actual drawings, and should not be understood as limiting the present invention; in order to better illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, some parts of the accompanying drawings may be omitted, enlarged or reduced, and do not represent the size of the actual product; for those skilled in the art, it is understandable that some well-known structures and their descriptions in the accompanying drawings may be omitted.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the sealing plug 3 is detachably fixedly mounted on the upper part of the liquid storage tube 4; the lower part of the liquid storage tube 4 is open and an electrode catheter 7 is fixedly connected to the opening; an opening is set in the center of the sealing plug 3; the upper part of the electrode wire 6 is detachably fixedly mounted in the opening in the center of the sealing plug 3; the lower part of the electrode wire 6 passes through the lower opening of the liquid storage tube 4 and the electrode catheter 7 in sequence; an exhaust hole 2 is set on the sealing plug 3; the exhaust valve 1 is fixedly mounted on the sealing plug 3 and connected to the exhaust hole 2; the upper part of the electrode wire 6 is electrically connected to the positive pole of the power supply 11; the conductive substrate 10 is connected to the The negative pole of the power source 11 is electrically connected; the power source 11 is used to provide the voltage and current required for electrochemical deposition; the axis of the electrode wire 6 is perpendicular to the surface of the conductive substrate 10; the liquid storage tube 4 is filled with the electrolyte 5; there is a gap fit between the lower part of the electrode wire 6 and the electrode conduit 7 for the circulation of the electrolyte 5; the shape of the lower part of the electrode wire 6 extending outside the electrode conduit 7 is stepped or conical; the outer surface of the lower part of the electrode wire 6 extending outside the electrode conduit 7 is provided with a hydrophilic layer 8; the hydrophilic layer 8 is used to make the circulating electrolyte 5 form a uniform laminar flow.

[0021] In this preferred embodiment, the diameter of the exhaust hole 2 is 1mm; the exhaust valve 1 is used to accurately control the air permeability between the outside and the inside of the liquid storage tube 4, and the air permeability does not exceed 50ml / min; the diameter of the central opening of the sealing plug 3 is 80μm; the material of the sealing plug 3 is elastic rubber material; the material of the liquid storage tube 4 is glass, which is corrosion-resistant; the outer diameter of the liquid storage tube 4 is 20mm; the length of the liquid storage tube 4 is 80mm.

[0022] The electrode wire 6 is made of an inert conductive material; the inert conductive material is platinum wire; the diameter of the electrode wire 6 is 100 μm; the diameter of the lower end of the electrode wire 6 is 1 μm; the length of the electrode conduit 7 is 100 μm; and the single-side gap between the electrode conduit 7 and the electrode wire 6 is 50 μm.

[0023] When used, this preferred embodiment includes the following steps: S1: Add an appropriate amount of electrolyte 5 into the liquid storage tube 4, and pass the upper part of the electrode wire 6 through the electrode guide tube 7, the liquid storage tube 4 and the sealing plug 3 in sequence; S2: Slightly open the exhaust valve 1 to allow the electrolyte 5 to flow down slowly under the action of gravity and surface tension, and form a thin liquid layer of the electrolyte 5 on the surface of the hydrophilic layer 8 at the bottom of the electrode wire 6; S3: externally connect the liquid storage tube 4 to the Z-axis driving part of the XYZ three-coordinate precision fine-motion platform, and externally connect the conductive substrate 10 to the XY plane driving part of the XYZ three-coordinate precision fine-motion platform; S4: by accurately controlling the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform, the distance between the end surface of the lower part of the electrode wire 6 and the conductive substrate 10 is 2 μm; S5: Turn on the power supply 11, the liquid layer of the electrolyte 5 flows downward until it contacts the conductive substrate 10, forming a liquid bridge, and the metal ions in the electrolyte 5 undergo a reduction reaction under the action of the power supply 11 and precipitate metal atoms, and the precipitated metal atoms accumulate on the conductive substrate 10; S6: After 10 seconds, a dot-shaped deposited metal 9 is formed on the conductive substrate 10, and the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform controls the electrode wire 6 to move a predetermined distance in the XY plane, so that the electrode wire 6 moves to above the deposition point of the next deposited metal 9; S7: repeating steps S5 and S6 until the deposition of the first layer of deposited metal 9 is completed; S8: Control the electrode wire 6 to rise upward along the Z-axis direction by using the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform until the distance from the end surface of the lower part of the electrode wire 6 to the upper surface of the uppermost deposited metal 9 is 2 μm; S9: Turn on the power supply 11, the liquid layer of the electrolyte 5 flows downward until it contacts the topmost deposited metal 9, forming a liquid bridge, and the metal ions in the electrolyte 5 undergo a reduction reaction under the action of the power supply 11 and precipitate metal atoms, and the precipitated metal atoms accumulate on the topmost deposited metal 9; S10: After 10 seconds, a dot-shaped deposited metal 9 is formed on the topmost deposited metal 9, and the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform controls the electrode wire 6 to move a predetermined distance in the XY plane, so that the electrode wire 6 moves to above the deposition point of the next deposited metal 9; S11: repeating steps S9 and S10 until the deposition of the current layer of deposited metal 9 is completed; S12: Repeat steps S8 to S11 until the deposition of the last metal layer is completed to form a three-dimensional microstructure.

[0024] In each of the above steps, the predetermined distance is 50 μm; the height of the liquid bridge is 5 μm.

Claims

1. A direct liquid type three-dimensional microstructure precision electroforming component, comprising an exhaust valve (1), a sealing plug (3), a liquid storage tube (4), an electrode wire (6), an electrode conduit (7), a conductive substrate (10), and a power source (11), characterized in that: The sealing plug (3) is detachably fixedly mounted on the upper part of the liquid storage tube (4); the lower part of the liquid storage tube (4) is open and an electrode guide tube (7) is fixedly connected to the opening; an opening is provided at the center of the sealing plug (3); the upper part of the electrode wire (6) is detachably fixedly mounted in the opening at the center of the sealing plug (3); the lower part of the electrode wire (6) passes through the lower opening of the liquid storage tube (4) and the electrode guide tube (7) in sequence; an exhaust hole (2) is provided on the sealing plug (3); the exhaust valve (1) is fixedly mounted on the sealing plug (3) and is connected to the exhaust hole (2); the upper part of the electrode wire (6) is electrically connected to the positive electrode of the power supply (11); the conductive substrate (10) is connected to the The negative electrode of the power source (11) is electrically connected; the power source (11) is used to provide the voltage and current required for electrochemical deposition; the axis of the electrode wire (6) is perpendicular to the surface of the conductive substrate (10); the liquid storage tube (4) is filled with an electrolyte (5); a clearance fit is provided between the lower portion of the electrode wire (6) and the electrode conduit (7) for the circulation of the electrolyte (5); the shape of the portion of the lower portion of the electrode wire (6) extending outside the electrode conduit (7) is stepped or conical; the outer surface of the portion of the lower portion of the electrode wire (6) extending outside the electrode conduit (7) is provided with a hydrophilic layer (8); the hydrophilic layer (8) is used to form a uniform laminar flow of the circulating electrolyte (5).

2. A direct liquid type three-dimensional microstructure precision electroforming component as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the exhaust hole (2) is 1-2 mm; the exhaust valve (1) is used to accurately control the air permeability between the outside and the inside of the liquid storage tube (4), and the air permeability does not exceed 50 ml / min.

3. A direct liquid type three-dimensional microstructure precision electroforming component as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The diameter of the central opening of the sealing plug (3) is 50-150 μm; the material of the sealing plug (3) is an elastic rubber material.

4. A direct liquid type three-dimensional microstructure precision electroforming component as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The liquid storage tube (4) is made of glass or plastic and is corrosion-resistant; the outer diameter of the liquid storage tube (4) is 10-20 mm; and the length of the liquid storage tube (4) is 50-100 mm.

5. A direct liquid type three-dimensional microstructure precision electroforming component as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The electrode wire (6) is made of an inert conductive material; the inert conductive material is platinum, titanium or graphite; the diameter of the electrode wire (6) is 100-200 μm; and the diameter of the lower end of the electrode wire (6) is 0.1-50 μm.

6. A direct liquid type three-dimensional microstructure precision electroforming component as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: The electrode catheter (7) is 100 μm long; The single-side gap between the electrode catheter (7) and the electrode wire (6) is 30-50 μm.

7. The method for using a direct liquid three-dimensional microstructure precision electroforming component as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1: adding an appropriate amount of electrolyte (5) into the liquid storage tube (4), and passing the upper part of the electrode wire (6) through the electrode guide tube (7), the liquid storage tube (4) and the sealing plug (3) in sequence; S2: Slightly open the exhaust valve (1) to allow the electrolyte (5) to flow slowly under the action of gravity and surface tension, forming a thin liquid layer of electrolyte (5) on the surface of the hydrophilic layer (8) at the bottom of the electrode wire (6); S3: connecting the liquid storage tube (4) to the Z-axis driving part of the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform, and connecting the conductive substrate (10) to the XY plane driving part of the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform; S4: by precisely controlling the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform, the distance between the end surface of the lower part of the electrode wire (6) and the conductive substrate (10) is 1-5 μm; S5: Turn on the power supply (11), the liquid layer of the electrolyte (5) flows downward until it contacts the conductive substrate (10), forming a liquid bridge, and the metal ions in the electrolyte (5) undergo a reduction reaction under the action of the power supply (11) and precipitate metal atoms, and the precipitated metal atoms accumulate on the conductive substrate (10); S6: After 2-10 seconds, a dot-shaped deposited metal (9) is formed on the conductive substrate (10), and the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform controls the electrode wire (6) to move a predetermined distance in the XY plane, so that the electrode wire (6) moves to above the deposition point of the next deposited metal (9); S7: repeating steps S5 and S6 until the deposition of the first layer of deposited metal (9) is completed; S8: Controlling the electrode wire (6) to rise upward along the Z-axis direction by means of an XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform until the distance between the end surface of the lower portion of the electrode wire (6) and the upper surface of the uppermost deposited metal (9) is 1-5 μm; S9: Turn on the power supply (11), the liquid layer of the electrolyte (5) flows downward until it contacts the topmost deposited metal (9), forming a liquid bridge, and the metal ions in the electrolyte (5) undergo a reduction reaction under the action of the power supply (11) and precipitate metal atoms, and the precipitated metal atoms accumulate on the topmost deposited metal (9); S10: After 2-10 seconds, a dot-shaped deposited metal (9) is formed on the topmost deposited metal (9), and the XYZ three-coordinate precision micro-motion platform controls the electrode wire (6) to move a predetermined distance in the XY plane, so that the electrode wire (6) moves to above the deposition point of the next deposited metal (9); S11: repeating steps S9 and S10 until the deposition of the current layer of deposited metal (9) is completed; S12: Repeat steps S8 to S11 until the deposition of the Nth layer (N is an integer greater than 2) of deposited metal (9) is completed to form a three-dimensional microstructure.

8. The method for using a direct liquid type three-dimensional microstructure precision electroforming component as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The predetermined distance is 0.1-50 μm.

9. The method for using a direct liquid type three-dimensional microstructure precision electroforming component as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: The height of the liquid bridge is 1-5 μm.

10. The method for using a direct liquid type three-dimensional microstructure precision electroforming component according to claim 9, characterized in that: When the number of layers of the deposited metal (9) is 1, steps S1 to S7 are used to obtain the final three-dimensional microstructure; when the number of layers of the deposited metal (9) is 2, steps S1 to S11 are used to obtain the final three-dimensional microstructure; when the number of layers of the deposited metal (9) is greater than 2, steps S1 to S12 are used to obtain the final three-dimensional microstructure.

Images