The present invention provides a laser welding process and a holding fixture for holding a first and a second body during a laser welding process. A first body and a second body for welding together along at least one weld line to form a joined component are immobilised in the holding fixture by a back clamp and a front clamp of the fixture. A shielding gas is supplied, from respective plenums formed in the back and front clamps, to back and front sides of the component along the weld line. Laser welding the first and second bodies together along the weld line, the laser weld thus-formed penetrating from the front side to the back side of the component.

To realize a laser irradiation apparatus by using which accuracy in processing a substrate can be improved. A laser irradiation apparatus according to an embodiment includes a laser irradiation unit configured to apply laser light to a substrate, a base part, and a conveyance stage configured to convey the substrate. The conveyance stage includes a stage configured to be movable over the base part, a base flange fixed over the stage, a substrate stage fixed to an upper end part of the base flange and configured so that the substrate is placed thereover, and a pusher pin for supporting the substrate, the pusher pin being configured to penetrate the substrate stage and to be movable up and down.

A Ni-base superalloy composition to be used for powder-based additive manufacturing (AM) technology, such as selective laser melting (SLM) or electron beam melting (EBM). The cracking susceptibility during an AM process is considerably reduced by controlling the amount of elements, especially Hf, that form low-melting eutectics.

A welding system for welding a first elongated element and a second elongated element together by a laser beam that is emitted from a laser welding head after the ideal welding center point of the aligned first and second elongated elements has been positioned at a focal point of the laser beam that is emitted from the laser welding head.

A method for additively manufacturing at least a portion of a component, in particular a component of a turbomachine. The method includes the following steps: a) depositing at least one powder layer of a component material in powder form layer by layer onto a component platform in the region of a buildup and joining zone; b) locally solidifying the powder layer by selectively irradiating the same using at least one high-energy beam in the region of the buildup and joining zone, forming a component layer; c) lowering the component platform by a predefined layer thickness; and d) repeating steps a) through c) until completion of the component portion or of the component. At least one contour portion of at least one component layer is irradiated in a step b1) at least once by at least one high-energy beam in a way that allows the solidified powder layer to be locally heated, but not melted, and, in a subsequent step b2), irradiated by at least one high-energy beam in a way that allows the solidified powder layer-to be locally melted in the region of the contour portion. In addition, a device for implementing such a method.

A method and an apparatus of a powder bed fusion additive manufacturing system that enables a quick change in the optical beam delivery size and intensity across locations of a print surface for different powdered materials while ensuring high availability of the system. A dynamic optical assembly containing a set of lens assemblies of different magnification ratios and a mechanical assembly may change the magnification ratios as needed. The dynamic optical assembly may include a transitional and rotational position control of the optics to minimize variations of the optical beam sizes across the print surface.

A method of forming an integrated circuit is described. The method first positions a semiconductor wafer in a processing chamber, and second, laser anneals at least a portion of the semiconductor wafer. The laser annealing includes tracing a first laser beam, in a first path having a first direction, across the at least a portion of the semiconductor wafer, tracing a second laser beam, in a second path having a second direction, opposite to and colinear with the first direction, across the at least a portion of the semiconductor wafer.

The laser welding device includes a laser transmission window and a gas injection nozzle. The gas injection nozzle includes an optical path hole and an injection unit that injects an inert gas for shielding metal vapor into the optical path hole toward an irradiation direction (E) side and an optical axis (A) side of a laser beam (L).

A laser welding device includes a chamber which has an internal space in which a workpiece is disposed, a laser beam irradiation unit which irradiates the workpiece with a laser beam to weld the workpiece, a vacuum pump which suctions air in the chamber to decrease a pressure in the chamber, a laser transmission window through which the laser beam emitted from the laser beam irradiation unit is transmitted, and a shutter which is disposed on the chamber side with respect to the laser transmission window and closed when the pressure in the chamber is returned to the atmospheric pressure after laser welding.

A welding window device includes an elongated body that defines a welding cavity that extends through the body from a top side to a bottom side. The welding cavity is framed by an inlet end, an outlet end, and lateral sides of the body. The body includes one or more gas channels inwardly extending through one or more of the first lateral side or the second lateral side from an inlet opening in the inlet end toward the outlet end of the body. The gas channels include nozzle openings inwardly oriented toward the welding cavity. The gas channels are positioned in the body to direct a gas into the welding cavity during welding of other bodies together within the welding cavity.