Three-dimensional printing with reduced pressure build plate unit

Abstract

A method of forming a three-dimensional object, comprising: providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, said carrier and said build surface defining a build region therebetween; filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid, continuously or intermittently irradiating said build region with light through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid, continuously or intermittently advancing (e.g., sequentially or concurrently with said irradiating step) said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer, said optically transparent member comprising a flexible layer having upper and lower opposing sides, wherein the flexible layer upper side defines the build region, the method further comprising forming a region of reduced pressure adjacent the flexible layer lower side.

1 - 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object from a polymerizable liquid, comprising:
 (a) a support;   (b) a carrier operatively associated with said support on which carrier said three-dimensional object is formed;   (c) a build plate unit having an optically transparent member comprising a flexible layer having upper and lower surfaces, wherein the upper surface defines a build surface, with said build surface and said carrier defining a build region therebetween, the build plate unit further comprising a vacuum chamber in fluid communication with the lower surface of the optically transparent member flexible layer;   (d) a liquid polymer supply (e.g., a well) operatively associated with said build surface and configured to supply liquid polymer into said build region for solidification or polymerization;   (e) a radiation source configured to irradiate said build region through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid;   (f) optionally at least one drive operatively associated with either said transparent member or said carrier; and   (g) a controller operatively associated with said carrier, and/or optionally said at least one drive, and/or said vacuum chamber for controlling a pressure in said vaccum chamber, and said radiation source for advancing said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer.   
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein said optically transparent member comprises a base layer having an upper surface facing the flexible layer lower surface and an opposing lower surface facing the region of reduced pressure. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 47 , wherein the flexible layer lower surface is in fluid communication with the region of reduced pressure. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein the optically transparent member further comprises a base layer formed of a porous glass facing the flexible layer lower surface. 
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein the base layer upper surface comprises a surface topology comprising random or patterned features. 
     
     
         51 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein the controller is configured to control a pressure in the region of reduced pressure and/or a velocity of said advancing step so as to oscillate the flexible layer. 
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 50 , wherein the pressure is substantially constant. 
     
     
         53 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , wherein an oscillation of the flexible layer is sufficient to enhance or speed a refilling of said build region with said polymerizable liquid. 
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein said irradiating is intermittent irradiating, and said intermittent irradiating is either (a) synchronized with an oscillation of the flexible layer, or (b) non-synchronized with an oscillation of the flexible layer. 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , further comprising a heater configured to heat the polymerizable liquid to reduce the viscosity thereof in said build region. 
     
     
         56 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , further comprising a heater configured to heat the polymerizable liquid to reduce the viscosity thereof in said build region. 
     
     
         57 . An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object from a polymerizable liquid, comprising:
 (a) a support;   (b) a carrier operatively associated with said support on which carrier said three-dimensional object is formed;   (c) a build plate unit having an optically transparent member comprising
 an oxygen permeable flexible layer having upper and lower surfaces, wherein the upper surface defines a build surface, with said build surface and said carrier defining a build region therebetween, 
 a base layer having an upper surface facing the flexible layer lower surface and an opposing lower surface; 
 an adhesive layer between the lower surface of the flexible layer and the upper surface of the base layer; 
 a vacuum chamber in fluid communication with the lower surface of the optically transparent member flexible layer; 
   (d) a liquid polymer supply operatively associated with said build surface and configured to supply liquid polymer into said build region for solidification or polymerization;   (e) a radiation source configured to irradiate said build region through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid;   (f) optionally at least one drive operatively associated with either said transparent member or said carrier; and   (g) a controller operatively associated with said carrier, and/or optionally said at least one drive, and/or said vacuum chamber for controlling a pressure in said vacuum chamber, and said radiation source for advancing said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer.   
     
     
         58 . The apparatus of  claim 57 , wherein said base layer is impermeable. 
     
     
         59 . The apparatus of  claim 58 , wherein said base layer comprises glass, silicon, quartz, sapphire, or polymer materials. 
     
     
         60 . The apparatus of  claim 57 , wherein said base layer lower surface faces a region of reduced pressure. 
     
     
         61 . The apparatus of  claim 57 , wherein the flexible layer lower surface is in fluid communication with a region of reduced pressure. 
     
     
         62 . The apparatus of  claim 61 , further comprising a heater configured to heat the polymerizable liquid to reduce the viscosity thereof in said build region.