Patent ID: 8540913

Claim:
A method of forming a casting, comprising: filling a mold having a stacked plurality of lithographically-derived micro-machined metallic foil layers with a first casting material to form a first cast product having an aspect ratio of greater than 10:1, the stacked plurality of lithographically-derived micro-machined metallic foil layers defining a sandwiched cavity, said stacked plurality of lithographically-derived micro-machined metallic foil layers defining a protruding undercut; and demolding the first cast product from the mold, the first cast product reflecting the sandwiched cavity said first cast product comprising a plurality of product surfaces that define a periphery of a layer-less volume of said first cast product, a product surface from said plurality of product surfaces comprising a plurality of 3-dimensional micro-features that substantially spatially invertedly replicate a mold surface formed by said stacked plurality of metallic foil layers.