Faraday Technology, Inc. — Department of Defense STTR Phase I: N22A-T015

Description

The proposed technology will meet the Navy need for additive manufacturing processes for copper-based, high power and high frequency electronic structures, with fine tolerances and smooth surfaces. Complex copper-based high frequency electronic structures are conventionally manufactured by welding/brazing together multiple high-purity wrought Cu segments, that were shaped using conventional machining. The resulting joints throughout the electronic structure negatively affects performance during high frequency operation, due to surface impurities and surface finish defects at these joints. Additive manufacturing can produce seamless structures from pure Cu but operating performance is limited due to the inherent surface roughness of internal passages and oxygen content in the material. The proposed technology is a two-step on-demand manufacturing approach to directly print and finish copper-based high frequency electronic structures. Additive manufacturing will produce the electronic structure platform and electrochemical finishing (polishing/plating) will improve the surface roughness of the passage and apply an oxygen-free Cu coating throughout the passage length. This approach will enable made-to-order fabrication of complex high performance electronic structures that are seamless, high frequency compatible, and vacuum compatible, from high thermal conductivity materials. This methodology will reduce manufacturing lead times and cost to produce complex high frequency electronic structures of interest to the Navy.