Various embodiments relate to forming particles using undercooled metal particles in response to focused low power laser light. Particle growth can be initiated by utilizing the metastable and liquid nature of the particles, allowing for surface instability promoted by the laser light to induce liquid flow to translate to a neighboring particle. This event can cascade radially leading to accumulation of the liquid metal at the epicenter. The grown solidified particle size can be varied by using different power, exposure time, or working distance. Once the liquid has accumulated into a single region, it eventually solidifies either through homogeneous or heterogeneous nucleation to give a solid particle of larger size than the original. Such a method can be used to print patterns on a surface in four dimensions, where the fourth dimension (4D) is attained through gradient in size of the particles made. Additional systems and methods are disclosed.

Various embodiments relate to forming particles using undercooled metal particles in response to focused low power laser light. Particle growth can be initiated by utilizing the metastable and liquid nature of the particles, allowing for surface instability promoted by the laser light to induce liquid flow to translate to a neighboring particle. This event can cascade radially leading to accumulation of the liquid metal at the epicenter. The grown solidified particle size can be varied by using different power, exposure time, or working distance. Once the liquid has accumulated into a single region, it eventually solidifies either through homogeneous or heterogeneous nucleation to give a solid particle of larger size than the original. Such a method can be used to print patterns on a surface in four dimensions, where the fourth dimension (4D) is attained through gradient in size of the particles made. Additional systems and methods are disclosed.

A process for room temperature substrate bonding employs a first substrate substantially transparent to a laser wavelength is selected. A second substrate for mating at an interface with the first substrate is then selected. A transmissivity change at the interface is created and the first and second substrates are mated at the interface. The first substrate is then irradiated with a laser of the transparency wavelength substantially focused at the interface and a localized high temperature at the interface from energy supplied by the laser is created. The first and second substrates immediately adjacent the interface are softened with diffusion across the interface to fuse the substrates.

Selective laser solidification apparatus is described that includes a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited and a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a predefined gas flow direction. A laser scanning unit is provided for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form a required pattern. The required pattern is formed from a plurality of stripes or stripe segments that are formed by advancing the laser beam along the stripe or stripe segment in a stripe formation direction. The stripe formation direction is arranged so that it always at least partially opposes the predefined gas flow direction. A corresponding method is also described.

This invention concerns a module for insertion into an additive manufacturing apparatus. The module comprising a frame mountable in a fixed position in the additive manufacturing apparatus, the frame defining a build chamber and a dosing chamber. A build platform is movable in the build chamber for supporting a powder bed during additive manufacturing of a part. A dosing piston is movable in the dosing chamber to push powder from the dosing chamber. A mechanism mechanically links the build platform to the dosing piston such that downward movement of the build platform in the build chamber results in upward movement of the dosing piston in the dosing chamber.

The present disclosure various apparatuses, and systems for 3D printing. The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing methods, apparatuses, software and systems for a step and repeat energy irradiation process; controlling material characteristics and/or deformation of the 3D object; reducing deformation in a printed 3D object; and planarizing a material bed.

The invention relates to a laser machining tool (100), in particular a laser cutting tool, comprising a machining device (1) which is guided on a bridge (10) and has a movable carriage (2), on which a machining unit (3) is arranged, which has a machining head (4), which is designed in such a way that it directs a laser beam of laser light onto a workpiece to be machined, wherein a flexible fibre cable (6) for supplying the laser light from a laser light source (16) is connected to the machining head (4) and the machining unit (3) can be moved linearly together with the machining head (4) relative to the movable carriage (2). The fibre cable (6) is fixed to the machining unit (3) with a first fixing means (7) and fixed to the movable carriage (2) with a second fixing means (8), wherein the fibre cable (6) is freely movable for enabling a linear movement of the machining unit (3) relative to the movable carriage (2) in a predetermined guide plane (G) between the first and second fixing means (7, 8).

A method of additive manufacture is disclosed. The method may include creating, by a 3D printer contained within an enclosure, a part having a weight greater than or equal to 2,000 kilograms. A gas management system may maintain gaseous oxygen within the enclosure atmospheric level. In some embodiments, a wheeled vehicle may transport the part from inside the enclosure, through an airlock, as the airlock operates to buffer between a gaseous environment within the enclosure and a gaseous environment outside the enclosure, and to a location exterior to both the enclosure and the airlock.

A control device for controlling an annealing apparatus that performs laser annealing by causing a laser beam to be incident on a surface of a semiconductor wafer and moving a beam spot of the laser beam on the surface of the semiconductor wafer, the control device making a sweep speed of the beam spot of the laser beam faster than twice a value obtained by dividing a thermal diffusivity of the semiconductor wafer by a thickness of the semiconductor wafer.

An apparatus for radial laser processing of a workpiece, located on a center axis, includes a laser beam scanner directing a laser beam along but offset from the center axis, and a bi-conical reflector system including first and second conical mirror surfaces surrounding the center axis. The first conical mirror surface faces away from the center axis to reflect the laser beam radially outwards therefrom, toward the second conical mirror surface. The second conical mirror surface faces the center axis to reflect the laser beam radially inwards toward the workpiece. The laser beam scanner azimuthally scans a location of incidence of the laser beam on the first conical mirror surface to scan an azimuthal angle of propagation of the laser beam from the second conical mirror surface toward the workpiece. The apparatus enables irradiation of the entire circumference of the workpiece without physically rotating the workpiece.