# US 10,307,822 B2 · Controlling an intensity profile of an energy beam with a deformable mirror in additive manufacturing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,307,822 B2 - Document ID: US10307822B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/655,229 - Filed: 2017-07-20 - Published: 2018-02-01 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-28 - Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc. - Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc. - Inventors: Hou T. Ng; Ron Naftali; Christopher G. Talbot - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10307822B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - B22F 10/36: of energy beam parameters - B22F 12/44: characterised by the configuration of the radiation means - B22F 12/90: Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors - B29C 64/135: the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources - B29C 64/171: specially adapted for manufacturing multiple 3D objects - G02B 26/02: for controlling the intensity of light {(G02B26/004 takes precedence)} - G02B 26/0825: {the reflecting element being a flexible sheet or membrane, e.g. for varying the focus (flexible mirrors for cosmetic use A45D42/24)} - H04N 5/7458: {the modulator being an array of deformable mirrors, e.g. digital micromirror device [DMD]} - B22F 10/368: Temperature or temperature gradient, e.g. temperature of the melt pool - B22F 12/33: translatory in the deposition plane - B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy - B29C 64/245: Platforms or substrates (support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40) - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - G02B 26/08: for controlling the direction of light (in light guides G02B6/35) - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a platform, a dispenser to dispense layers of feed material on the platform, and a fusing system to direct an energy beam to fuse at least a portion of the outermost layer of feed material. The fusing system includes an energy source to emit the energy beam, a deformable mirror to receive the energy beam and reflect the energy beam, wherein a shape of the deformable mirror defines at least in part an intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material, an actuator coupled to the deformable mirror, and a controller coupled to the actuator and configured to cause the actuator to deform the shape of the deformable mirror to adjust the intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material in accordance to a desired profile. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising: a platform; a dispenser to dispense layers of feed material on the platform; a fusing system to direct an energy beam toward an outermost layer of feed material on the platform to fuse at least a portion of the outermost layer of feed material, the fusing system comprising: an energy source to emit the energy beam, a deformable mirror to receive the energy beam and reflect the energy beam, wherein a shape of the deformable mirror defines at least in part an intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material, and an actuator coupled to the deformable mirror; and a controller coupled to the actuator and configured to cause the actuator to deform the shape of the deformable mirror to adjust the intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material in accordance to a desired profile. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, comprising a plurality of actuators independently operable by the controller to deform the shape of the deformable mirror. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the actuators are independently operable by the controller to deform the shape of the deformable mirror to adjust a first dimension of the intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material in the first dimension while maintaining a second dimension of the intensity profile of the energy beam. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the deformable mirror is a first deformable mirror, and the fusing system further comprises a second deformable mirror to receive the energy beam and reflect the energy beam, wherein a shape of the second deformable mirror defines at least in part the intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material, the shape of the deformable mirror being deformable to adjust the intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first deformable mirror and second deformable mirror are configured such that the shape of the first deformable mirror defines the intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material in a first dimension and the shape of the second deformable mirror defines the intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material in a different second dimension. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first dimension is perpendicular to the second dimension. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a detector configured to measure one or more parameters of the portion of the outermost layer of feed material, and wherein the controller is configured to generate control signals to deform the shape of the deformable mirror based on one or more measured values of the one or more parameters of the portion of the outermost layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the fusing system is configured to direct the energy beam toward the outermost layer of feed material to cause a melt pool to form in the outermost layer of feed material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 8, and wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of a temperature, a temperature profile, a shape, a size, or a depth of the melt pool. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to generate the control signals to deform the shape of the deformable mirror based on a desired value for the one or more parameters and a measured value of the one or more parameters. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to determine a propagation velocity or propagation direction of the melt pool based on measured values of the one or more parameters. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to generate control signals to deform the shape of the deformable mirror based on the propagation velocity or direction of the melt pool. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical detector to detect an error in the intensity profile of the energy beam emitted by the energy source, wherein the controller is configured to generate control signals to deform the shape of the deformable mirror based on the error. ### Claim 14 A fusing system for an additive manufacturing apparatus, the fusing system comprising: an energy source configured to emit an energy beam to fuse at least a portion of an outermost layer of feed material on a platform; a deformable mirror to receive the energy beam and reflect the energy beam, wherein a shape of the deformable mirror defines at least in part an intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material; an actuator coupled to the deformable mirror; and a controller coupled to the actuator and configured to cause the actuator to deform the shape of the deformable mirror to adjust the intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material in accordance to a desired profile. ### Claim 15 A method of fabricating an object by additive manufacturing, comprising: depositing a sequence of layers of feed material on a platform; and fusing an outermost layer of feed material on the platform by directing an energy beam toward the outermost layer of feed material, and deforming a shape of a deformable mirror to adjust an intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material in accordance to a desired profile. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein deforming the shape of the deformable mirror comprises deforming the shape of the deformable mirror to adjust a first dimension of the intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material in the first dimension while maintaining a second dimension of the intensity profile of the energy beam. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein deforming the shape of deformable mirror comprises deforming the shape of the deformable mirror to adjust the intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material in a first dimension, and deforming the shape of another deformable mirror to adjust the intensity profile of the energy beam on the outermost layer of feed material in a different second dimension. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising measuring one or more parameters of a portion of the outermost layer of feed material, and generating control signals to deform the shape of the deformable mirror based on one or more measured values of the one or more parameters of the portion of the outermost layer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein directing the energy beam toward the outermost layer of feed material causes a melt pool to form in the outermost layer of feed material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, and wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of a temperature, a temperature profile, a shape, a size, or a depth of the melt pool. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, comprising generating the control signals to deform the shape of the deformable mirror based on a desired value for the one or more parameters and a measured value of the one or more parameters. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, comprising determining a propagation velocity or propagation direction of the melt pool based on one or more measured values of the one or more parameters, and generating control signals to deform the shape of the deformable mirror based on the propagation velocity or propagation direction of the melt pool.