US2020258717A1PendingUtilityA1

Modular print head assembly for plasma jet printing

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Assignee: SPACE FOUNDRY INCPriority: Oct 1, 2017Filed: Oct 1, 2018Published: Aug 13, 2020
Est. expiryOct 1, 2037(~11.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Ramprasad GandhiramanFergal O'MooreLief Niklas Dennis NordlundArlene Lynette Lopez
B29C 64/209B33Y 10/00H01J 37/32009B22F 12/70B22F 10/22B22F 12/53Y02P10/25H05H 1/2465H05H 1/246H05H 1/2425H01J 37/32348B05B 12/20B05B 12/29B33Y 50/02B29C 64/10B33Y 30/00
53
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Claims

Abstract

Described herein are apparatus and methods of printing in the presence of plasma. The apparatus includes a modular print head comprising an inlet module, a plasma module with movable electrode configurations, and a nozzle module. The modular design of the print head allows for printing on and treatment of surfaces in many different applications.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for printing, comprising: a plasma module, wherein the plasma module comprises at least one dielectric tube with at least two electrodes on the outer side of the at least one dielectric tube, and wherein the at least two electrodes can be moved along the length of the at least one dielectric tube. 
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two electrodes comprise a dielectric encapsulation. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the dielectric encapsulation has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the at least one dielectric tube. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the dielectric encapsulation has a thickness that is at least three times greater than the thickness of the at least one dielectric tube. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least two electrodes have different surface areas. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dielectric encapsulation comprises a first dielectric material and the dielectric tube comprises a second dielectric materiel, and wherein the first dielectric material has a dielectric strength that is greater than the dielectric strength of the second dielectric material. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one dielectric tube has a length of about 10 mm to about 200 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one dielectric tube comprises aluminum oxide, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one dielectric tube has a diameter of about 0.02 cm to about 2 cm. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least two electrodes are connected a high voltage power supply. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least two electrodes generate a plasma within the at least one dielectric tube in the presence of a gas. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gas comprises argon, helium or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus further comprises an inlet module. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inlet module can be attached to the plasma module, and/or detached from the plasma module. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inlet module comprises at least one inlet. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one inlet allows for input of one or more materials into the inlet module. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inlet module allows for flow of the one or more materials from the inlet module into the at least one dielectric tube of the plasma module. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more materials are exposed to plasma generated in the at least one dielectric tube. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein a property of the one or more materials is changed when the one or more materials are exposed to the plasma. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the property comprises an oxidation state, a morphology, a molecular structure, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus further comprises a nozzle module. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the nozzle module can be attached to the plasma module, and/or detached from the plasma module. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more materials flow from the plasma module into the nozzle module. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the nozzle module comprises an inner orifice and an outer orifice. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner orifice of the nozzle module is in fluid contact with the plasma module. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner orifice has a diameter that is less than, equal to, or greater than the diameter of the outer orifice. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more materials exit the apparatus through the outer orifice of the nozzle module onto a substrate. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer orifice is in fluid communication with a substrate. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more materials are printed on a surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more materials form a film on the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the distance between the at least two electrodes along the length of the at least one dielectric tube by about 1 mm to about 180 mm. 
     
     
         32 . An apparatus comprising:
 a) an inlet module, wherein the inlet module comprises one or more inlets, and an atomizer; and   b) the plasma module of any one of the preceding claims.   
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein one or more materials enter the inlet module through the one or more inlets. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the atomizer aerosolizes the one or more materials that enter the inlet module through the one or more inlets. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the one or more materials comprise an optical material. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the inlet module is in fluid communication with the plasma module. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the atomizer operates at a frequency of about 50 kHz to about 10 MHz. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the inlet module can be attached to the plasma module and/or can be detached from the plasma module. 
     
     
         39 . An apparatus comprising:
 a) a fluid delivery assembly; and   b) the plasma module of any one of the preceding claims.   
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the fluid delivery assembly can be attached to the plasma module and/or can be detached from the plasma module. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the fluid delivery assembly comprises a cartridge. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the cartridge comprises an ink reservoir. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid delivery assembly further comprises an atomizer, one or more fluid inlets, one or more fluid outlets, a dielectric spacer, a lip, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid delivery assembly is in fluid communication with the plasma module. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dielectric spacer connects the fluid delivery assembly to the plasma module. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dielectric spacer of the fluid assembly has a length that is greater than the distance between the at least two electrodes in the plasma module. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid delivery assembly comprises two or more cartridges. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus comprises the fluid delivery assembly, the plasma module, and a nozzle module. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the nozzle module can be attached to the plasma module, and/or detached from the plasma module. 
     
     
         50 . A method of printing, comprising: introducing one or more materials to be printed into the plasma module of any one of the preceding claims; exposing the one or more materials to plasma in the plasma module, and printing the plasma-treated one or more materials on one or more substrates.

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