Microscale Structure Additive Manufacturing Control Method Using Localized Electrochemical Deposition

Micro-nano scale 3D printing is attracting attention as an alternative manufacturing method for a variety of applications in electronic information, biomedical, and sensing devices. Localized electrochemical deposition (LECD) based on nanopipettes is naturally superior and economical for the manufacturing of high-freedom, impurity-free metal conductors. However, flexible printing sacrifices roughness and straightness. Therefore, the present study initially establishes a simulation model for LECD and subsequently analyzes the key factors that influence the quality and stability of the deposited structure. Furthermore, an effective solution is proposed to enhance the surface quality. Second, a constant deposition current control method based on fuzzy proportional-intergral-derivaite (PID) is proposed to effectively suppress the fluctuation and improve the stability and quality of the deposited structure. Finally, compared with the open-loop control method, the proposed constant current control method can reduce the radial fluctuation of the copper pillar structure by 87%, and effectively improve the surface quality of the structure. The proposed method provides a new idea to carry out LCED-based 3D printing with high resolution at the micro-nano scale. The picture illustrates the nanopipette-based localized electrochemical deposition process. Copper ions released from the tip of the nanopipette gain electrons at the bottom of the gold substrate to copper, which continuously accumulates to form a copper column. In addition, hydrogen ions also gain electrons and form hydrogen gas (white spheres).image (c) 2024 WILEY-VCH GmbH