Method and system for heating using an energy beam

A method of heating at least one selected portion of an object, the method including the following steps:

• projecting an energy beam onto a surface of the object so as to produce a primary spot on the surface, and repetitively scanning the beam in two dimensions in accordance with a scanning pattern so as to establish an effective spot on the surface, the effective spot having a two-dimensional energy distribution, and
• displacing the effective spot along a track on the surface of the object to progressively heat a selected portion of the object;
• wherein the selected portion has a first width at a first position along the track, and a second width at a second position along the track, the first width being larger than the second width;
• wherein the energy beam is scanned in accordance with the scanning pattern so that the scanning pattern is repeated by the energy beam with a first frequency in correspondence with the first position along the track, and with a second frequency in correspondence with the second position along the track, and wherein both of the first frequency and the second frequency are larger than 10 Hz,
• wherein the energy beam has a first average power in correspondence with the first position along the track, and a second average power in correspondence with the second position along the track, the second average power being smaller than the first average power.

A method of heating at least one selected portion of an object, the method including the following steps:

• projecting an energy beam onto a surface of the object so as to produce a primary spot on the surface, and repetitively scanning the energy beam in two dimensions in accordance with a scanning pattern so as to establish an effective spot on the surface, the effective spot having a two-dimensional energy distribution, and
• displacing the effective spot along a track on the surface of the object to progressively heat a selected portion of the object;
• wherein the selected portion has a first width at a first position along the track, and a second width at a second position along the track, the first width being larger than the second width;
• wherein the energy beam is scanned in accordance with the scanning pattern so that the scanning pattern is repeated by the energy beam with a first frequency in correspondence with the first position along the track, and with a second frequency in correspondence with the second position along the track, and wherein both of the first frequency and the second frequency are larger than 10 Hz,
• wherein the effective spot is displaced along the track with a first velocity in correspondence with the first position along the track, and with a second velocity in correspondence with the second position along the track, the second velocity being different from the first velocity.

A method of heating at least one selected portion of an object, the method including the following steps:

• projecting an energy beam onto a surface of the object so as to produce a primary spot on the surface, and repetitively scanning the energy beam in two dimensions in accordance with a scanning pattern so as to establish an effective spot on the surface, the effective spot having a two-dimensional energy distribution, and
• displacing the effective spot along a track on the surface of the object to progressively heat a selected portion of the object;
• wherein the selected portion has a first width at a first position along the track, and a second width at a second position along the track, the first width being larger than the second width;
• wherein the energy beam is scanned in accordance with the scanning pattern so that the scanning pattern is repeated by the energy beam with a first frequency in correspondence with the first position along the track, and with a second frequency in correspondence with the second position along the track, and wherein both of the first frequency and the second frequency are larger than 10 Hz,
• wherein the effective spot has a length in the direction parallel with the track that is smaller in correspondence with the first position than in correspondence with the second position.

A method of heating at least one selected portion of an object, the method including the following steps:

• projecting an energy beam onto a surface of the object so as to produce a primary spot on the surface, and repetitively scanning the energy beam in two dimensions in accordance with a scanning pattern so as to establish an effective spot on the surface, the effective spot having a two-dimensional energy distribution, and
• displacing the effective spot along a track on the surface of the object to progressively heat a selected portion of the object;
• wherein the selected portion has a first width throughout a first sub-portion and a second width throughout a second sub-portion of the selected portion, the first width being larger than the second width, wherein the energy beam is scanned in accordance with a first scanning pattern in the first sub-portion and in accordance with the second scanning pattern in the second sub-portion, wherein the first scanning pattern is repeated by the energy beam with a first frequency and wherein the second scanning pattern is repeated by the energy beam with a second frequency, and wherein both of the first frequency and the second frequency are larger than 10 Hz,
• wherein the first sub-portion is subjected to a first radiation energy flow and wherein the second sub-portion is subjected to a second radiation energy flow, and wherein the first scanning pattern represents a third radiation energy flow defined as the energy supplied by the energy beam during one sweep along first the scanning pattern divided by the surface area swept by the primary spot, and whereas the second scanning pattern represents a fourth radiation energy flow defined as the energy supplied by the energy beam during one sweep along the second scanning pattern divided by the surface area swept by the primary spot,
• wherein the first radiation energy flow is substantially identical to the second radiation energy flow, and wherein the third radiation energy flow is substantially identical to the fourth radiation energy flow.