Device for microelectrodeposition through laser assisted flexible following tool electrode and deposition method using the device thereof

Abstract

Disclosed are a device and a method for microelectrodeposition through a laser assisted flexible following tool electrode. Localization of electrodeposition and dimensional precision of members are enhanced by using the flexible following tool electrode to restrict a dispersion region of an electric field and a reaction region of electrodeposition, and a complex-shaped member can be deposited by controlling a motion path of the flexible following tool electrode. Since a laser has a high power density, introducing laser irradiation changes an electrode state in a radiated region, accelerates ion diffusion and electron transfer speeds, and increases a deposition rate, thus reducing defects such as pitting and cracking in a deposit, enhancing deposition quality, and achieving fabrication of a micro-part by a synergistic action of both electrochemical energy and laser energy.

Claims

1. A device for microelectrodeposition through a laser assisted flexible following tool electrode, comprising a workpiece processing system, a laser irradiation system, and a motion control system, wherein the workpiece processing system comprises an X-Y two-coordinate workbench, a vertical lifting workbench, a direct current (DC) pulse power supply, a working tank, a flexible following tool anode, and a cathode substrate; the flexible following tool anode is connected to a positive electrode of the DC pulse power supply and is clamped by a work arm of the X-Y two-coordinate workbench; the cathode substrate is connected to a negative electrode of the DC pulse power supply; the flexible following tool anode and the cathode substrate are both arranged in an electrolyte in the working tank, and when energized, an electrochemical loop is formed; and the working tank is arranged on the vertical lifting workbench; the laser irradiation system comprises a pulsed laser, a reflector, and a focusing lens; a laser beam emitted by the pulsed laser is reflected by the reflector, then focused by the focusing lens, and then irradiated on a lower section of the flexible following tool anode; and the motion control system comprises a computer and a motion control card; the computer controls the pulsed laser and the motion control card, and the motion control card controls the X-Y two-coordinate workbench and the vertical lifting workbench; wherein the flexible following tool anode comprises an upper section, an elastic middle section, and the lower section, and the upper section and the lower section are connected by the elastic middle section; the upper section comprises an insoluble metal wire with sidewall insulation, and the lower section comprises a shielding deposition mold with a hollow structure.

2. The device for microelectrodeposition through the laser assisted flexible following tool electrode according to claim 1, wherein the shielding deposition mold is made of a light-transmitting material.

3. The device for microelectrodeposition through the laser assisted flexible following tool electrode according to claim 1, wherein an insulating glass tube is used to the insoluble metal wire for the sidewall insulation.

4. The device for microelectrodeposition through the laser assisted flexible following tool electrode according to claim 1, further comprising a working fluid circulation system, the working fluid circulation system comprises a reservoir, a micropump, a filter, and a throttle valve; the micropump has a port connected to the reservoir and an outlet connected to the working tank, and the filter and the throttle valve are connected in series in the loop.

5. The device for microelectrodeposition through the laser assisted flexible following tool electrode according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece processing system further comprises an oscilloscope; and the oscilloscope is connected to the DC pulse power supply.

6. The device for microelectrodeposition through the laser assisted flexible following tool electrode according to claim 1, wherein the elastic middle section is a flexible spring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a system diagram of microelectrodeposition through a laser assisted flexible following tool electrode.

(2) FIG. 2 is a diagram of working principles of a flexible following tool electrode, wherein (a) is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible following tool anode and a cathode substrate; (b) is a schematic diagram of an initial reaction between the flexible following tool anode and the cathode substrate; (c) is a schematic diagram during the reaction of the flexible following tool anode and the cathode substrate; and (d) is a schematic diagram after the reaction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(3) The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation cases, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

(4) Referring to FIG. 1, a device for microelectrodeposition through a laser assisted flexible following tool electrode includes a workpiece processing system, a laser irradiation system, and a motion control system. The workpiece processing system includes an X-Y two-coordinate workbench 16, a vertical lifting workbench 8, a DC pulse power supply 15, a working tank 13, a flexible following tool anode 10, and a cathode substrate 14. The flexible following tool anode 10 is connected to a positive electrode of the DC pulse power supply 15 and is clamped by a work arm of the X-Y two-coordinate workbench 16. The cathode substrate 14 is connected to a negative electrode of the DC pulse power supply 15. The flexible following tool anode 10 and the cathode substrate 14 are arranged from top to bottom, and the flexible following tool anode 10 and the cathode substrate 14 are both arranged in an electrolyte in the working tank 13. The working tank 13 is arranged on the vertical lifting workbench 8. The laser irradiation system includes a pulsed laser 3, a reflector 11, and a focusing lens 12. A laser beam emitted by the pulsed laser 3 is reflected by the reflector 11, then focused by the focusing lens 12, and then irradiated on the flexible following tool anode. The motion control system includes a computer 1 and a motion control card 2. The computer 1 controls the pulsed laser 3 and the motion control card 2, and the motion control card 2 controls the X-Y two-coordinate workbench 16 and the vertical lifting workbench 8.

(5) The flexible following tool anode 10 includes an upper section, an elastic middle section, and a lower section. The upper section and the lower section are connected by the elastic middle section, and the elastic middle section is a flexible spring 19. The upper section includes an insoluble metal wire 17 with sidewall insulation, and the lower section includes a shielding deposition mold 21 with a hollow structure. The shielding deposition mold 21 is made of a light-transmitting material, and a deposit 22 is arranged in the shielding deposition mold 21. An insulating glass tube 18 is used to the insoluble metal wire 17 for the sidewall insulation. A working fluid circulation system is further included. The working fluid circulation system includes a reservoir 7, a micropump 6, a filter 5, and a throttle valve 4. The micropump 6 has a port connected to the reservoir 7 and an outlet connected to the working tank 13. The filter 5 and the throttle valve 4 are connected in series in a loop. The workpiece processing system also includes an oscilloscope 9. The oscilloscope 9 is connected to the DC pulse power supply 15.

(6) The upper section of the flexible following tool anode 10 includes the insoluble metal wire 17 with sidewall insulation. This structure can restrict the electric field to a top region of the metal wire. The lower section includes the insulating shielding deposition mold 21 to further restrict a dispersion region of the electric field and restrict a reaction region of electrodeposition. The upper and lower sections are connected by the flexible spring 19 to ensure that the lower section of the anode is in close contact with the cathode substrate 14 without damaging the insulating shielding mold, and to ensure supplementation of cations and evolution of cathode gas.

(7) The cross-sectional shape of the deposit is controlled by changing the shape of the shielding deposition mold 2, and the X-Y two-coordinate workbench 16 clamps the flexible following tool anode 10 by the work arm to control its motion path.

(8) As shown in FIG. 1, the computer 1 is connected to the pulsed laser 3 and the motion control card 2. The computer 1 can control laser parameters of the pulsed laser 3 and can also transmit written code to the motion control card 2. The oscilloscope 9 is connected to the DC pulse power supply 15 to monitor current parameters in real time. The working tank 13 is arranged on the vertical lifting workbench 8, the cathode substrate 14 is placed in the working tank 13, and the flexible following tool anode 10 is clamped by the work arm of the X-Y two-coordinate workbench 16 and placed in the working tank 13. A laser beam is emitted from the pulsed laser 3, a transmission path thereof is changed by the reflector 11, and the laser beam then passes through the focusing lens 12. The focused pulsed laser 23 penetrates through the shielding deposition mold 21 and is focused above the cathode substrate 14. The motion control card 2 controls motion trajectories of the X-Y two-coordinate workbench 16 and the vertical lifting workbench 8 to deposit a complex member. The deposition solution is stored in the reservoir 7, and the micropump 6 provides power to transport the deposition solution from the reservoir 7 to the working tank 13 through the filter 5 and the throttle valve 4, and the deposition solution finally returns to the reservoir 7 to implement circulation.

(9) As shown in FIG. 2 where (a) is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible following tool anode and a cathode substrate; (b) is a schematic diagram of an initial reaction between the flexible following tool anode and the cathode substrate; (c) is a schematic diagram during the reaction of the flexible following tool anode and the cathode substrate; and (d) is a schematic diagram after the reaction, the upper section of the flexible following tool anode 10 is the insoluble metal wire 17 to which the insulating glass tube 18 is used for sidewall insulation, the lower section is an insulating shielding deposition mold 21, and the upper and lower sections are connected by the flexible spring 19. The electrodeposition reaction is carried out in the shielding deposition mold 21. When the deposit 22 is stacked to a certain height, the upper section of the following flexible following tool anode 10 is controlled to be raised, and metal can be continuously deposited in the shielding deposition mold 21. At the same time, by controlling the spatial scanning movement of the flexible following tool anode 10, the complex-shaped deposit 22 can be obtained. The thermal action generated by the irradiation of the focused pulsed laser 23 promotes convection, mass transfer, and crystallization of cations 20 in the shielding deposition mold 21, and accelerates discharge of the gas in the shielding deposition mold 21 from a joint of the flexible spring 19. The cations 20 enter the shielding deposition mold 21 from the joint of the flexible spring 19 to continue the deposition reaction until the corresponding member is deposited.

(10) The specific implementation method of the present invention is as follows:

(11) An electrodeposition solution consists of 120 g/L nickel sulfate (NiSO4.6H2O), 20 g/L ferrous sulfate (FeSO4.7H2O), 40 g/L nickel chloride (NiCl2.6H2O), 40 g/L boric acid (H3BO3), 20 g/L sodium citrate (Na3C6H5O7.2H2O), 3 g/L saccharin, and 2 g/L sodium dodecyl sulfate (C12H25SO4Na), the PH is maintained at 3±0.02, and the temperature is maintained at 40-60° C. The cathode substrate is 1Cr18Ni9Ti stainless steel. The insoluble metal wire is a platinum wire. The laser is a YAG nanosecond pulsed laser. The DC pulse power supply has a voltage of 0-30 V, a frequency of 1-5000 Hz, and a duty cycle of 0-100%.

(12) The deposition method using the device for microelectrodeposition through a laser assisted flexible following tool electrode includes the following steps:

(13) performing a surface pretreatment on the cathode substrate 14;

(14) writing a program and inputting it into control software of the computer 1;

(15) connecting the cathode substrate 14 to the negative electrode of the DC pulse power supply 15 and fixing it in the working tank 13, and placing the working tank 13 on the vertical lifting workbench 8;

(16) connecting the flexible following tool anode 10 to the positive electrode of the DC pulse power supply 15, clamping it by the work arm of the X-Y two-coordinate workbench 16, and placing it in the working tank 13, the lower section of the flexible following tool anode 10 being in close contact with the cathode substrate 14 through the action of the flexible spring 19;

(17) adjusting a position of a laser spot so that the laser spot is focused above the cathode substrate 14 in a region of the shielding deposition mold 21;

(18) adding a deposition solution, so that the cathode substrate 14 and a part of the upper section of the flexible following tool anode 10 are immersed in the deposition solution;

(19) turning on the micropump 6 to circulate the deposition solution to ensure a uniform concentration of the deposition solution in the working tank 13; and

(20) turning on the pulsed laser 3, and at the same time, controlling the motion path of the X-Y two-coordinate workbench 16 according to written code, so that a desired shape is deposited in the shielding deposition mold 21.

(21) The cathode substrate 14 is subjected to polishing, degreasing, water washing, weak erosion, water washing, and drying pretreatment in sequence, the DC pulse power supply 15 is has a voltage adjustable in a range of 0-20 V, and a duty cycle of 0-100%. The pulsed laser 3 is one selected from a group consisting of an excimer laser, a fiber laser, and a YAG laser, and a laser focus is focused at a position 0.1-1 mm above the cathode substrate 14. A liquid level of the deposition solution immerses the upper section of the flexible following tool anode 10 by 2-10 mm, and a temperature of the deposition solution is maintained at 20-70° C.

(22) Specifically, the deposition method using the device for microelectrodeposition through a laser assisted flexible following tool electrode includes the following steps:

(23) 51: performing pre-treatment on the cathode substrate 14 to remove impurities and mechanical damage on a surface;

(24) S2: writing program code of a motion path according to a required member shape, and inputting the written code into the computer 1;

(25) S3: preparing an electrochemical deposition solution to keep the PH at 3±0.02 and the temperature at 40-60° C.;

(26) S4: connecting the pretreated cathode substrate 14 to the negative electrode of the DC pulse power supply 15 and fixing it in the working tank 13, and placing the working tank 13 on the vertical lifting workbench 8;

(27) S5: assembling the flexible following tool electrode 10 and connecting it to the positive electrode of the DC pulse power supply 15, clamping it by the work arm of the X-Y two-coordinate workbench 16, and placing it in the working tank 13, the shielding deposition mold 21 at the lower section of the tool anode being in close contact with the cathode substrate 14 through the action of the flexible spring 19;

(28) S6: selecting the YAG nanosecond pulsed laser 3 and adjusting a position of a laser spot so that the spot is focused at 0.1-1 mm above the cathode substrate 14 in the insulating shielding mold 21;

(29) S7: adding the electrodeposition solution so that the liquid level of the electrodeposition solution immerses the upper section of the flexible following tool anode 10 by 2-8 mm;

(30) S8: controlling parameters of the laser by the computer 1, controlling parameters of the DC pulse power supply 15 externally, and connecting the oscilloscope 9 to the DC pulse power supply 15 to monitor the parameters of the DC pulse power supply 15 in real time;

(31) S9: turning on the micropump 6 to circulate the electrodeposition solution; and

(32) S10: using the computer to turn on the laser 3 and the motion control card 2, and controlling the motion path of the shielding deposition mold 21 to deposit a three-dimensional shape of the member.

(33) The micropump 6 has a working pressure less than 2 bar and a flow rate less than 0.5 L/min, and flow of the solution has a tiny disturbance to the liquid level of the deposition solution.

(34) The embodiments are preferred implementations of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above implementations. Any obvious improvements, replacements, or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essential content of the present invention all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.