US 12,077,876 B2
System for reliable, high throughput, complex electric field generation, and method for producing coatings therefrom
Leslie Ann Collinson, Seattle, WA (US); John Thomas Cox, Issaquah, WA (US); and Shamus F. Patry, Redmond, WA (US)
Assigned to Modumetal, Inc., Snohomish, WA (US)
Filed by Modumetal, Inc., Snohomish, WA (US)
Filed on Aug. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/409,688.
Application 17/409,688 is a continuation of application No. 16/332,786, abandoned, previously published as PCT/US2017/051606, filed on Sep. 14, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/394,552, filed on Sep. 14, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0081798 A1, Mar. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. C25D 21/12 (2006.01); C25D 5/18 (2006.01); C25D 17/10 (2006.01); G01N 27/42 (2006.01)
CPC C25D 21/12 (2013.01) [C25D 5/18 (2013.01); C25D 17/10 (2013.01); G01N 27/42 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
an electrochemical processing tank;
a set of electrodes configured for depositing a multilayer nanolaminate coating on a workpiece;
an electrodeposition power supply connected to the set of electrodes, the electrodeposition power supply comprising an input connection configured to receive a complex waveform signal, the electrodeposition power supply configured to amplify the complex waveform signal to generate a desired electrodeposition waveform, the desired electrodeposition waveform configured to deposit at least one layer of the multilayer nanolaminate coating on the workpiece;
a sensor assembly configured to generate a feedback signal related to the depositing at least one layer of the multilayer nanolaminate coating, wherein the feedback signal relates to an electrolyte concentration, an electrolyte level, an electrolyte temperature, a coating thickness, a coating resistance, or a combination thereof; and
a processor-based controller comprising:
a waveform synthesizer circuit configured to generate the complex waveform signal;
a synthesizer control circuit configured to:
adjust a waveform profile, a time duration, and/or an amp-hour accumulation of a recipe based on inputted geometry and size of the workpiece, the recipe having parameters related to the depositing at least one layer of the multilayer nanolaminate coating; and
control the waveform synthesizer circuit based at least on the recipe and the feedback signal from the sensor assembly, the synthesizer control circuit configured to control the complex waveform signal generated by modulating in real-time a waveform shape, a frequency, an amplitude, an offset, a slew, a wavelength, a phase, a velocity, a derivative of the complex waveform signal, or a combination thereof; and
a controller output circuit connected to the input of the electrodeposition power supply, the controller output circuit configured to transmit the complex waveform signal to the input,
wherein the recipe comprises instructions for generating the desired electrodeposition waveform; and
wherein the instructions comprise a current density of the desired electrodeposition waveform, a current waveform profile of the desired electrodeposition waveform, a voltage waveform profile of the desired electrodeposition waveform, or a combination thereof.