In this talk I’ll present the latest advances in additive manufacturing of metal microstructures. The technology shown is a combination of fluidic scanning probe microscopy and 3D printing. A plating electrolyte is locally delivered by a cantilevered probe with a buried microfluidic channel. Electrodeposition processes enable a one-step, room temperature manufacturing method that results in a high-quality metal. Processes for copper and gold microstructures are demonstrated. Each structure is built up out of voxels, deposited sequentially. The technology is industrially scalable and drives additive micromanufacturing of metals well beyond its current state.

Wabe W. Koelmans obtained the M.Sc. (’06) and Ph.D. (’11) degrees at the University of Twente in the Netherlands working on scanning probe technologies for data storage. He then worked as a scientist at the IBM Zurich Research lab where his research focused on storage class memory and memristive technologies. He also served as a technology evaluator for the ITRS. Currently, he is active as the CTO of Exaddon, a startup firm that develops and brings to market the patented µAM technology. The µAM technology uses scanning probes to print 3D metal structures at the micrometer scale.