Granted Patent B2

US 12,729,129 · App. 18/950,004 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Inventor: Ryan Wade Penny (Merrimack, NH)

Assignee: Penny Precision, LLC

C01F11/22B33Y10/00B33Y30/00B33Y50/02B33Y70/00C01D15/04C01P2006/60

Abstract

Claims (36)

1 . A method for additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object from an ionic material, comprising:

determining a composition of a first fluid, the first fluid having a first solubility limit, and a composition of a second fluid, the second fluid having a second solubility limit;

wherein at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid further comprises the ionic material at a concentration below the first solubility limit in the first fluid or below the second solubility limit in the second fluid,

providing a substrate submerged in the first fluid;

generating a recipe, the recipe defining locations where a volume of a second fluid should be dispensed from a printhead to deposit the ionic material on the substrate to create the three-dimensional object;

communicating the recipe to a controller, the controller generating commands for a motion system for moving the printhead along a printhead trajectory with respect to the three-dimensional object and commands to actuate the printhead;

dispensing the volume of the second fluid from the printhead in accordance with the recipe, the volume of the second fluid and a portion of the first fluid forming a mixing zone and the mixing zone having a third solubility limit, by operating the printhead in accordance with the recipe;

wherein the volume of the ionic material supplied by the portion of the first fluid and the volume of the second fluid exceeds the third solubility limit, causing a portion of the ionic material in the mixing zone to form a deposit on the substrate.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the first fluid and the second fluid comprise hydrofluoric acid, and the ionic material is selected from the group consisting of calcium fluoride, magnesium fluoride, barium fluoride, cesium fluoride, and lithium fluoride.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a composition of a third fluid, the third fluid being designed to deposit a second ionic material when mixed with the first fluid;

defining the local composition of the three-dimensional object in the recipe;

operating the printhead to dispense the second fluid and the third fluid to selectively deposit the ionic material and the second ionic material in accordance with the recipe.

4 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein a surface profile of the three-dimensional object is measured and the surface profile measurement is communicated to the controller, and the profile measurement is used to determine adjustments to at least one of the printhead trajectory, a flow rate of the second fluid, a dispense command, the composition of the first fluid, or the composition of the second fluid.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

measuring a separation distance between the printhead and the thee-dimensional component;

communicating the separation distance to the controller; and

adapting at least one of the separation distance and flow rate of the second fluid into the mixing zone, as to control the dimensions of the mixing zone where it contacts the three-dimensional object.

6 . The method of claim 1 ,

further comprising recycling an effluent fluid stream from the printhead to generate a supply of at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid,

wherein the effluent is a mixture of the first fluid and the second fluid that is depleted of the ionic material; and

the step of recycling includes at least one of changing a temperature, changing a composition, changing a pressure, or filtering.

7 . The method of claim 6 ,

wherein the step of recycling the effluent fluid steam includes saturating at least a portion of the effluent fluid stream with the ionic material at a first temperature, then changing the temperature of the portion of the effluent fluid stream, and

wherein the change of temperature makes the portion of the effluent fluid stream subsaturated with the ionic material.

8 . The method of claim 1 ,

further comprising the step of determining a crystal orientation of the substrate with respect to a profile of the substrate, and orienting the profile of the substrate in the printer to align the crystal orientation with the printhead motion axes, such that the three-dimensional component is epitaxially deposited in the crystal orientation.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

printing a first set of alignment features on a first surface of the substrate in accordance with the recipe;

removing the substrate from the printer;

installing a second substrate in the printer;

depositing a second set of alignment features on the second substrate in accordance with a second recipe, the second set of alignment features being designed to mate with the first set of alignment features;

installing the substrate on the second substrate using the first set of alignment features and the second set of alignment features; and

printing on a second surface of the substrate in accordance with a third recipe.

Continuity (2)

References Cited (56)