Reactive deposition systems and associated methods
AssigneeWashington State University
InventorsAmit BANDYOPADHYAY, Himanshu SAHASRABUDHE, Susmita BOSE
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Abstract
Techniques for reactive deposition are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes providing laser energy into a deposition environment, the laser energy having a focal point and introducing a first precursor material and a second precursor material into the deposition environment at or near the focal point of the provided laser energy, thereby causing the first and second precursor materials to melt and react to form a composite material different than both the first and second precursor materials. The method also includes allowing the formed composite to solidify by moving the focal point of the provided laser energy away from the melted first and second precursor materials.
Claims20
A method for reactive deposition, comprising:
- providing an energy stream into a deposition environment, the provided energy stream having a focal point;
- introducing a first precursor material and a second precursor material into the deposition environment at or near the focal point of the provided energy stream, thereby causing the first and second precursor materials to react to form a composite material having a composition different than both the first and second precursor materials;
- and
- allowing the formed composite material to solidify by moving the focal point of the provided energy stream away from the first and second precursor materials.
A reactive deposition system, comprising:
- an energy source configured to provide an energy stream into a deposition environment;
- a feed line configured to introduce a precursor material into the deposition environment to be at or near the provided energy stream, thereby causing the precursor material and a substrate material of a substrate to react to form a composite material having a composition different than both the precursor material and the substrate material;
- a deposition platform configured to carry the substrate and receive the formed composite material, the deposition platform being also configured to allow the formed composite material to solidify by moving the formed composite material away from the focal point of the provided energy stream;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the energy source, feed line, and deposition platform, the controller being configured to adjust a feed rate of the precursor material based on a desired phase for the formed composite material.
A controller having a processor and a memory containing instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a process comprising:
- (i) instructing an energy source to provide an energy stream into a deposition environment;
- (ii) instructing a first feed line and a second feed line to introduce a first precursor material and a second precursor material, respectively, into the deposition environment to react with each other, thereby forming a layer of composite material on a deposition platform, the composite material having a composition different than both the first and second precursor materials;
- (ii) instructing the deposition platform to move the formed composite material away from the focal point of the provided energy stream, thereby allowing the formed layer of composite material to solidify;
- repeating operations (i), (ii), and (iii) a number of times on the formed layer of composite material to form a plurality of layers as a product;
- and
- during repetitions of operations (i), (ii), and (iii), adjusting one or more operating parameters of operations (i), (ii), and (iii) such that the product having a first portion with a first target composition and a second portion with a second target composition different than the first target composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.