Systems and methods for forming apertures in microfeature workpieces are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes directing a laser beam toward a microfeature workpiece to form an aperture and sensing the laser beam pass through the microfeature workpiece in real time. The method can further include determining a number of pulses of the laser beam and/or an elapsed time to form the aperture and controlling the laser beam based on the determined number of pulses and/or the determined elapsed time to form a second aperture in the microfeature workpiece.

An additive manufacturing system includes an excitation energy source for generating a melt pool in a build material based on a build parameter. The system includes a sensing energy source and a first scanning device that directs the sensing energy source across the build material. The build material emits an ambient quantity of electromagnetic radiation prior to being contacted by an energy beam from the sensing energy source, and a sensing quantity of electromagnetic radiation different than the ambient quantity after contact by the energy beam. The system includes an optical system having an optical detector for detecting the sensing quantity of electromagnetic radiation and generating a detection signal in response. A computing device receives the detection signal and generates a control signal in response. The control signal is configured to modify the build parameter based on the sensing quantity of electromagnetic radiation to achieve a desired melt pool characteristic.

Systems and methods for forming apertures in microfeature workpieces are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes directing a laser beam toward a microfeature workpiece to form an aperture and sensing the laser beam pass through the microfeature workpiece in real time. The method can further include determining a number of pulses of the laser beam and/or an elapsed time to form the aperture and controlling the laser beam based on the determined number of pulses and/or the determined elapsed time to form a second aperture in the microfeature workpiece.

A method for forming an article includes providing a material having a first material property; forming a melt pool by exposing the material to an optical beam having at least one beam characteristic, wherein the melt pool has at least one melt pool property determinative of a second material property of the material; and modifying the at least one beam characteristic in response to a change in the melt pool property.

A method of processing by controlling one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam may include: launching the optical beam into a first length of fiber having a first refractive-index profile (RIP); coupling the optical beam from the first length of fiber into a second length of fiber having a second RIP and one or more confinement regions; modifying the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam in the first length of fiber, in the second length of fiber, or in the first and second lengths of fiber; confining the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam within the one or more confinement regions of the second length of fiber; and/or generating an output beam, having the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam, from the second length of fiber. The first RIP may differ from the second RIP.

Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for providing an optical beam delivery device, comprising a first length of fiber comprising a first RIP formed to enable modification of one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam by a perturbation device and a second length of fiber having a second RIP coupled to the first length of fiber, the second RIP formed to confine at least a portion of the modified beam characteristics of the optical beam within one or more confinement regions.

Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for perturbing an optical beam propagating within a first length of fiber to adjust one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam in the first length of fiber or a second length of fiber or a combination thereof, coupling the perturbed optical beam into a second length of fiber and maintaining at least a portion of one or more adjusted beam characteristics within a second length of fiber having.

Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for providing an optical beam delivery system, comprising an optical fiber including a first length of fiber comprising a first RIP formed to enable, at least in part, modification of one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam by a perturbation assembly arranged to modify the one or more beam characteristics, the perturbation assembly coupled to the first length of fiber or integral with the first length of fiber, or a combination thereof and a second length of fiber coupled to the first length of fiber and having a second RIP formed to preserve at least a portion of the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam modified by the perturbation assembly within one or more first confinement regions. The optical beam delivery system may include an optical system coupled to the second length of fiber including one or more free-space optics configured to receive and transmit an optical beam comprising the modified one or more beam characteristics.

A three-dimensional deposition device and a three-dimensional deposition method used to highly accurately manufacture a three-dimensional object are provided. A three-dimensional deposition device for forming a three-dimensional shape by depositing a formed layer on a base unit includes: a powder supply unit which supplies a powder material; a light irradiation unit which irradiates the powder material with a light beam so that at least a part of the powder material irradiated with the light beam is sintered or melted and solidified to form the formed layer; a heating unit which selectively heats an area having passed through a position irradiated with the light beam in the base unit or the formed layer or an area not having passed through the position irradiated with the light beam; and a control device which controls operations of the powder supply unit, the light irradiation unit, and the heating unit.

Systems and methods for forming apertures in microfeature workpieces are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes directing a laser beam toward a microfeature workpiece to form an aperture and sensing the laser beam pass through the microfeature workpiece in real time. The method can further include determining a number of pulses of the laser beam and/or an elapsed time to form the aperture and controlling the laser beam based on the determined number of pulses and/or the determined elapsed time to form a second aperture in the microfeature workpiece.