A method for forming at least one freestanding microstructure on a diamond crystal includes the step of removing material from the diamond crystal so as to form a structured surface, wherein the removing of the material includes creating at least two trenches, each trench having a bottom and two side walls and wherein adjacent side walls of the at least two trenches form side walls of the structured surface. The method also includes the steps of depositing at least one masking layer on the structured surface, removing at least a portion of the at least one masking layer from the bottom of each of the at least two trenches, removing additional material from the diamond crystal at least along the side walls so as to deepen the trenches, and undercutting the diamond crystal so as to form the freestanding microstructure.

A method of additive manufacture is disclosed. The method may include providing a powder bed and directing a shaped laser beam pulse train consisting of one or more pulses and having a flux greater than 20 kW/cm.sup.2 at a defined two dimensional region of the powder bed. This minimizes adverse laser plasma effects during the process of melting and fusing powder within the defined two dimensional region.

Varied embodiments of a laser-based machine tool, and techniques for controlling the same are provided. Some embodiments relate to techniques to facilitate uniform and reproducible processing of workpieces. Other embodiments relate to a zoom lens having a quickly-variable focal length. Still other embodiments relate to various features of a laser-based multi-axis machine tool that can facilitate efficient delivery of laser energy to a scan head, that can address thermomechanical issues that may arise during workpiece processing, etc. Another embodiment relates to techniques for minimizing or preventing undesired accumulation of particulate matter on workpiece surfaces during processing. A number of other embodiments and arrangements are also detailed.

A method for laser additive manufacturing of a mechanical part includes providing a laser beam the operation of which will be controlled by a computer into which is introduced a CAD computer file which is cut into one or more strata which, once superimposed, allow to form the structure of the desired mechanical part, disposing a substrate in a manufacturing enclosure wherein an atmosphere of a neutral gas is created, depositing on the substrate at least a first layer of a powder of a first metallic material to be melted, levelling the first layer, subjecting by means of the laser beam the first layer to a selective melting step, if necessary, depositing on the substrate a second layer, levelling the second layer and subjecting this second layer to a step of selective melting, removing the excess material and cleaning the assembly and subjecting the part to finishing operations.

The inventive concept provides a substrate treating apparatus. The substrate treating apparatus includes a chamber providing a treating space; a substrate support unit provided in the treating space; a window provided at a top of the chamber; and an optical module provided over the window and configured to transmit a laser beam to a substrate through the window, and wherein the optical module includes: a homogenizing optics configured to homogenize the laser beam to a uniform beam profile; and an imaging optics configured to control the size of the laser beam.

A laser engraver comprises a generally rectangular housing with an open bottom adapted to rest on supports provided at the top plane of an open carriage. Thumb wheel screws operating in fixed nuts on the left and right sides of the laser housing and resting on supports at the top plane of the carriage allow the laser housing can be raised, lower and tilted. A plate can be removably and adjustably mountable within the housing directly under the laser for carrying smaller objects. A cart capable of carrying objects to be engraved can be moved into the space between the carriage side panels and is provided with height and level adjustments to support an object to be engraved by the laser when the removable plate is taken out of the laser housing.

A processing method of a workpiece used when the workpiece is processed is provided. The processing method of a workpiece includes a disposing step of disposing the workpiece in a gas containing a substance that generates an active species that reacts with the workpiece, a measurement step of measuring the distribution of the thickness of the workpiece disposed in the gas, and a laser beam irradiation step of irradiating the workpiece in the gas with a laser beam of which the power is adjusted based on the distribution of the thickness measured in the measurement step. In the laser beam irradiation step, the removal amount by which a region irradiated with the laser beam in the workpiece is removed by the active species is controlled by irradiating the workpiece with the laser beam of which the power is adjusted.

A laser treatment system and method for imparting beneficial residual stresses into a desired part during production thereof by a Selective Laser Sintering or Melting (SLS/SLM) process, the method including repeatedly subjecting the part to an in-situ Laser Shock Peening (LSP) treatment during the SLS/SLM process. The in-situ LSP treatment includes selectively bringing an LSP module in contact with a surface of the part during the SLS/SLM process, and subjecting the LSP module to the action of a first laser beam to impart beneficial residual stresses into the part. The LSP module is movable between a building chamber where the part is being produced for the purpose of carrying out the in-situ LSP treatment, and a separate storage chamber when the LSP module is not used for the purpose of carrying out the in-situ LSP treatment. The invention is also implementable in a corresponding additive manufacturing system and method.

A laser machining apparatus includes, a processing chamber, a window disposed in a surface of the processing chamber, a substrate carrier disposed inside the processing chamber and facing the window, a laser irradiator which irradiates a laser onto the substrate carrier through the window, a protector supplier disposed on a side of the processing chamber, a protector retriever disposed on an opposite side of the processing chamber opposite to the side of the processing chamber, and a protector which connects the protector supplier with the protector retriever, where at least a portion of the protector is disposed between the substrate carrier and the window in the processing chamber.

A laser beam application unit of a laser processing machine includes a laser oscillator that emits a laser beam, an fθ main lens that focuses and applies the laser beam which has been emitted from the laser oscillator, to a workpiece held on a holding table, a scan unit that is arranged on an optical path between the laser oscillator and the fθ main lens, scans the laser beam, and guides the resulting scanned laser beam to the fθ main lens, and an fθ sub-lens that is arranged on the optical path between the laser oscillator and the scan unit and converts the laser beam from parallel light into diffused light.