In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method is disclosed. The method comprises providing a two-dimensional object comprising a lll-V group material, e.g. Boron nitride (BN), Boron carbon nitride (BCN), Aluminium nitride (AIN), Gallium nitride (GaN), Indium Nitride (InN), Indium phosphide (InP), Indium arsenide (InAs), Boron phosphide (BP), Boron arsenide (BAs), and Gallium phosphide (GaP) and/or a Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMD) group material, e.g Molybdenum sulfide (MoS2), Molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2), Tungsten sulfide (WS2), Tungsten diselenide (WSe2), Niobium sulfide (NbS2), Vanadium sulfide (VS2,), and Tantalum sulfide (TaS2) into an environment comprising oxygen; and exposing at least one part of the two-dimensional object to photonic irradiation in said environment, thereby oxidizing at least part of the material of the exposed part of the two-dimensional object.

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method is disclosed. The method comprises providing a two-dimensional object comprising a lll-V group material, e.g. Boron nitride (BN), Boron carbon nitride (BCN), Aluminium nitride (AIN), Gallium nitride (GaN), Indium Nitride (InN), Indium phosphide (InP), Indium arsenide (InAs), Boron phosphide (BP), Boron arsenide (BAs), and Gallium phosphide (GaP) and/or a Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMD) group material, e.g Molybdenum sulfide (MoS2), Molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2), Tungsten sulfide (WS2), Tungsten diselenide (WSe2), Niobium sulfide (NbS2), Vanadium sulfide (VS2,), and Tantalum sulfide (TaS2) into an environment comprising oxygen; and exposing at least one part of the two-dimensional object to photonic irradiation in said environment, thereby oxidizing at least part of the material of the exposed part of the two-dimensional object.

There is provided a binder for ceramic formation or a conductive paste, comprising polyvinyl acetal having a degree of acetalization of from 50 to 85 mol %, a content of vinyl ester monomer unit of from 0.1 to 20 mol %, and having a viscosity-average degree of polymerization of from 200 to 5000, wherein a peak-top molecular weight (A) as measured by a differential refractive index detector and a peak-top molecular weight (B) as measured by an absorptiometer (measurement wavelength: 280 nm) in gel permeation chromatographic measurement of the polyvinyl acetal heated at 230 C. for 3 hours satisfy a formula (1) (AB)/A<0.60 and the polyvinyl acetal has an absorbance in the peak-top molecular weight (B) of from 0.5010.sup.3 to 1.0010.sup.2.

There is provided a binder for ceramic formation or a conductive paste, comprising polyvinyl acetal having a degree of acetalization of from 50 to 85 mol %, a content of vinyl ester monomer unit of from 0.1 to 20 mol %, and having a viscosity-average degree of polymerization of from 200 to 5000, wherein a peak-top molecular weight (A) as measured by a differential refractive index detector and a peak-top molecular weight (B) as measured by an absorptiometer (measurement wavelength: 280 nm) in gel permeation chromatographic measurement of the polyvinyl acetal heated at 230 C. for 3 hours satisfy a formula (1) (AB)/A<0.60 and the polyvinyl acetal has an absorbance in the peak-top molecular weight (B) of from 0.5010.sup.3 to 1.0010.sup.2.

A post manufacture method and apparatus for reducing residual stresses present within a component. The component includes a substrate, a polycrystalline structure coupled thereto, and residual stresses present therein. The method includes obtaining a component from a component category, determining a critical temperature and a critical time period for the component category at which the component becomes structurally impaired, determining a heat treatment temperature and a heat treatment time period based upon the critical temperature and the critical time period, and heating one or more remaining components from the component category to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period. The apparatus includes a heater defining a heating chamber and a molten bath positioned within the heating chamber. The components are placed within the pre-heated molten bath and isolated from oxygen during heating to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period.

A post manufacture method and apparatus for reducing residual stresses present within a component. The component includes a substrate, a polycrystalline structure coupled thereto, and residual stresses present therein. The method includes obtaining a component from a component category, determining a critical temperature and a critical time period for the component category at which the component becomes structurally impaired, determining a heat treatment temperature and a heat treatment time period based upon the critical temperature and the critical time period, and heating one or more remaining components from the component category to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period. The apparatus includes a heater defining a heating chamber and a molten bath positioned within the heating chamber. The components are placed within the pre-heated molten bath and isolated from oxygen during heating to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period.

Systems for and methods for improving mechanical properties of ceramic material are provided. The system comprises a heat source for heating the ceramic material to a temperature greater than a brittle-to-ductile transition temperature of the ceramic material; a probe for mounting the ceramic material and configured to extend the ceramic material into the heat source; a plasma-confining medium and a sacrificial layer disposed between the ceramic material and the plasma-confining medium; and an energy pulse generator such as a laser pulse generator. The sacrificial layer is utilized to form plasma between the ceramic material and the plasma-confining medium. The method comprises heating ceramic material to a temperature greater than a brittle-to-ductile transition temperature of the ceramic material and subjecting the ceramic material to energy pulses via a sacrificial layer and a plasma-confining medium whereby a plasma of the sacrificial coating forms between the ceramic material and a plasma-confining medium.