Pure copper membranes manufactured by green laser powder bed fusion with varying wall-thickness and building orientation: microstructure, properties, and vacuum tightness performance

Abstract

The design freedom offered by additive manufacturing opens up possibilities for developing novel vacuum electronic devices and radio-frequency components with integrated functionalities. High purity copper is often chosen for these applications because it combines excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. Laser powder bed fusion systems equipped with high-power green laser sources have been developed to enhance the processability of pure copper, which exhibits a low absorption rate for conventional infrared lasers. In this study, pure copper parts manufactured by green laser powder bed fusion were characterized in terms of density, impurity content, and mechanical and physical properties to assess their suitability for ultra-high vacuum applications. Additionally, vacuum membranes were produced with different wall-thicknesses and building orientations and tested for helium leakage with a detection limit of 10⁻¹⁰ mbar l s⁻¹. Further microstructural characterization analyses were conducted on the tested membranes to determine the critical parameters influencing their performance in ultra-high vacuum environments, such as effective wall thickness and laser scan length, and establish the current wall thickness limits for pure copper components manufactured by green laser powder bed fusion.