The process for manufacturing a silicon wafer includes steps for mounting a float zone silicon work piece for exfoliation, energizing a microwave device for generating an energized beam sufficient for penetrating an outer surface layer of the float zone silicon work piece, exfoliating the outer surface layer of the float zone silicon work piece with the energized beam, and removing the exfoliated outer surface layer from the float zone silicon work piece as the silicon wafer having a thickness less than 100 micrometers.

Scanning Laser Epitaxy (SLE) is a layer-by-layer additive manufacturing process that allows for the fabrication of three-dimensional objects with specified microstructure through the controlled melting and re-solidification of a metal powders placed atop a base substrate. SLE can be used to repair single crystal (SX) turbine airfoils, for example, as well as the manufacture functionally graded turbine components. The SLE process is capable of creating equiaxed, directionally solidified, and SX structures. Real-time feedback control schemes based upon an offline model can be used both to create specified defect free microstructures and to improve the repeatability of the process. Control schemes can be used based upon temperature data feedback provided at high frame rate by a thermal imaging camera as well as a melt-pool viewing video microscope. A real-time control scheme can deliver the capability of creating engine ready net shape turbine components from raw powder material.

Scanning Laser Epitaxy (SLE) is a layer-by-layer additive manufacturing process that allows for the fabrication of three-dimensional objects with specified microstructure through the controlled melting and re-solidification of a metal powders placed atop a base substrate. SLE can be used to repair single crystal (SX) turbine airfoils, for example, as well as the manufacture functionally graded turbine components. The SLE process is capable of creating equiaxed, directionally solidified, and SX structures. Real-time feedback control schemes based upon an offline model can be used both to create specified defect free microstructures and to improve the repeatability of the process. Control schemes can be used based upon temperature data feedback provided at high frame rate by a thermal imaging camera as well as a melt-pool viewing video microscope. A real-time control scheme can deliver the capability of creating engine ready net shape turbine components from raw powder material.

Method and systems for crystallizing a thin film provide an optics system configured to produce a laser spot beam directed towards the thin film and truncate the laser spot beam before the laser spot beam comes into contact with the thin film. The truncated laser spot beam is continually translated in a first direction while irradiating an amorphous silicon area of the thin film to generate a molten zone in the irradiated amorphous silicon area, where the thin film cools and solidifies to form crystal grains.

A method is provided for recycling sub-micron Si-particles from a Si wafer production process resulting from a diamond fixed abrasive process including slicing and cutting, the method including the steps of: providing a paste of sub-micron Si-particles resulting from the diamond fixed abrasive process; drying and shaping the paste of sub-micron Si-particles into a layer; and applying a zone melting step to the dried and shaped layer of Si-particles on a substrate.

A method of method of forming or repairing a superalloy article having a columnar or equiaxed or directionally solidified or amorphous or single crystal microstructure includes emitting a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of a diode laser fiber array corresponding to a pattern of a layer of the article onto a powder bed of the superalloy to form a melt pool; and controlling a temperature gradient and a solidification velocity of the melt pool to form the columnar or single crystal microstructure.

A method of method of forming or repairing a superalloy article having a columnar or equiaxed or directionally solidified or amorphous or single crystal microstructure includes emitting a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of a diode laser fiber array corresponding to a pattern of a layer of the article onto a powder bed of the superalloy to form a melt pool; and controlling a temperature gradient and a solidification velocity of the melt pool to form the columnar or single crystal microstructure.

A method of additive manufacturing a structure on a pre-existing includes disposing the pre-existing component in a bed of powdery base material and levelling the component, such that a manufacturing plane of the component can be recoated with the base material and alternatingly recoating and irradiating the manufacturing plane with an energy beam in order to additively build up the structure, wherein the irradiation is carried out in that the manufacturing plane is scanned by the beam in a non-continuous way, wherein, for the irradiation according to a second vector for the structure, the beam is either only guided parallel with respect to a previous first vector, or the irradiation process is paused after the irradiation of the first vector for a time span between 1/10 second to 2 seconds until the irradiation is continued with the second vector.

Various embodiments include a device for producing structurally modified materials. In some embodiments, the device includes a floating zone furnace which holds a feed rod in contact with seed crystal. One or more laser diodes are then used to heat a portion of the feed rod and cause it to transition to a molten state. A magnetic field is applied to the floating zone to change the underlying crystal structure of the material as it solidifies upon exiting the floating zone. In some instances, the changes may include manipulating the bond angle of the crystal structure or altering the unit cell volume of the crystal. Changes in the crystal structure directly affect the electrical resistivity and/or the magnetization and other physical properties of the crystal.

Various embodiments include a device for producing structurally modified materials. In some embodiments, the device includes a floating zone furnace which holds a feed rod in contact with seed crystal. One or more laser diodes are then used to heat a portion of the feed rod and cause it to transition to a molten state. A magnetic field is applied to the floating zone to change the underlying crystal structure of the material as it solidifies upon exiting the floating zone. In some instances, the changes may include manipulating the bond angle of the crystal structure or altering the unit cell volume of the crystal. Changes in the crystal structure directly affect the electrical resistivity and/or the magnetization and other physical properties of the crystal.