Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-10
2004-06-15
Picard, Leo (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S118000, C700S123000, C700S166000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06751516
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing an article by a deposition process. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing an article through a deposition process, and an imaging system for analyzing and controlling the process.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Past patents have proposed many ways of depositing, or ablating, metals, liquids, gases, ceramics, glasses, organics, and combinations of these, using a number of different methods. In the past chemical vapor deposition, laser, ion, electron or other directed energy beam or plasma based deposition, and other deposition processes have be used to create thin films, particles for particular processes, semiconductor structures and other small components or bulk parts.
In the past a complete feedback system to control the parameters governing the characteristics of the deposition process has not been implemented. Laser and electric microwelding and deposition systems have been employed where the part or the welding system is scanned in one, two or three dimensions to create a final solid. These systems suffer for poor dimensional control, poor control of exact material characteristics and poor control of final surface finish. Even in thin film deposition and semiconductor processing integral multiparameter feedback has not been implemented to monitor and control the deposition process. One example of this is that thin film deposition processes are limited by stress buildup in deposited thin films when the film becomes too thick. Using the environmental control and feedback system it is possible to control the required number of parameters to create a three dimensional part with the required final characteristics. Simple parts with low tolerances will need a simple system for their creation. Complex parts with precise tolerances, complex alloys or material combinations, or fine surface finishes will require many more parameters to be controlled and more precise spatial control to be implemented.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method and system for producing and modifying three dimensional objects which extends the capabilities of, or obviates or mitigates, at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing and/or editing a three dimensional part by employing a focused energy beam to form the part by the direct deposition of material onto said substrate while the part is being monitored by an optical imaging system which provides dimensional information which is used to control the deposition process. Preferably, the material to be deposited can be carried by said focused energy beam to the desired site for its deposition. Also preferably, the material to be deposited can be decomposed from a precursor gas at the desired site for deposition by said focused energy beam. Also preferably, the material to be deposited can be supplied in an energy beam and from blown in particles simultaneously. Also preferably, the material to be deposited can be supplied from a welding process and from blown in particles simultaneously. Also preferably, the material to be deposited can be supplied simultaneously, or from sequentially selected sources for defined periods of time in wide or local areas, from one or more of plasma sources, welding processes, blown in particles, inserted particles, or organometallic, metal halide, metal vapour or ceramic precursor gases.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for direct writing and/or editing of three dimensional parts, comprising: a deposition process for deposition of material onto a point on a three dimensional object where the deposition process can be any deposition process of which many are known to those skilled in the art; a control means to regulate the power level of and activate and deactivate the deposition process; a movable stage to receive a starting surface or point for said deposition process such that said deposition process deposits material on said starting surface or resulting three dimensional part when said deposition process is activated, where said substrate may be a starting surface such as a single starting point at the end of an armature or a conventional substrate surface; and stage control means to position said starting point or three dimensional part adjacent to said deposition process such that said material from said deposition process impinges at a desired site to form a three dimensional structure thereat; and optical, thermal, and/or X-ray imaging system to monitor the deposition process as it progresses and provide feedback to the deposition control means and the stage control means.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for direct writing and/or editing of information carriers, comprising: a focused energy beam; means to supply one or more selectable precursor gases to an area adjacent to a three dimensional part or starting point; a movable stage to receive said starting point and support the three dimensional part as it is produced such that said focused energy beam impinges on said precursor gas adjacent said starting point or three dimensional part and decomposes said precursor gas to deposit material therefrom onto said substrate; and stage control means to position said substrate relative to said focused energy beam such that said focused energy beam impinges at said desired site to form a three dimensional part thereat; and optical, thermal, and/or X-ray imaging system to monitor the deposition process as it progresses and provide feedback to the deposition control means and the stage control means.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for direct writing and/or editing of information carriers, comprising: a focused energy beam; means to supply one or more selectable precursor gases to an area adjacent to a three dimensional part or starting point; a movable stage to receive said starting point and support the three dimensional part as it is produced such that said focused energy beam impinges on said precursor gas adjacent said starting point or three dimensional part and decomposes said precursor gas to deposit material therefrom onto said substrate; and stage control means to position said substrate relative to said focused energy beam such that said focused energy beam impinges at said desired site to form a three dimensional part thereat; an optical, thermal, and/or X-ray imaging system to monitor the deposition process as it progresses and provide feedback to the deposition control means and the stage control means.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing and/or editing a master for a three dimensional part comprising the steps of: (i) providing a suitable three dimensional part on a positionable stage; (ii) directing a focused energy beam to a selected site on said three dimensional part; (iii) employing said directed focused energy beam to alter the surface of said three dimensional part at said site; (iv) moving said positionable stage such that said focused energy beam is directed to another selected site on said three dimensional part; (v) observing said three dimensional part with an imaging system which provides feedback information on the characteristics of the three dimensional part, which may include structural, geometrical, positional, crystallographic, spectral or chemical information provided by the imaging system, where such information is used to control the alteration of the surface; (vi) repeating steps (iii) and (v) to obtain a desired part.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing and/or editing a master for a three dimensional part comprising the steps of: (i) providing a suitable three dimensional part on a positionable stage; (ii) directing a
Banner & Witcoff , Ltd.
Kosowski Alexander
Picard Leo
Richardson Technologies Inc.
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