The University of Texas System

James V Tompkins

Harris L Marcus

Britton R Birmingham

Kevin J Jakubenas

Guisheng Zong

Shyh-Nung Lin

A process for joining solid compositions, comprising placing a first solid composition having a first joining zone and a second solid composition having a second joining zone in a chamber; positioning a first gas phase, which comprises a substance that decomposes to a material that adheres to the first and second solid compositions during the process, proximate the target area; directing an energy beam to the first and second joining zones to selectively deposit material from the first gas phase on the first joining zone and the second joining zone until a joint is formed between the first and second solid compositions wherein the joint adheres to the first and second compositions at the first and second joining zones. A process useful for attaching a solid fastener to a solid composition, comprising: placing the solid composition in a chamber; positioning a first gas phase, which comprises a substance that decomposes to a material that adheres to the solid composition during the process, proximate the solid composition; directing at least one energy beam to the solid composition to selectively deposit material from the first gas phase on the solid composition to form the solid fastener attached to the solid composition. The invention can also be used to repair solid compositions which contain defects such as chips or cracks or to modify the preexisting shape by localized addition of material from the gas phase.

Joining ceramics and attaching fasteners to ceramics by gas phase

Methods and apparatus for selectively depositing a layer of material from a gas phase to produce a part comprising a plurality of deposited layers. The apparatus includes a computer controlling a directed energy beam, such as a laser, to direct the laser energy into an unheated chamber substantially containing the gas phase to preferably produce photodecomposition or thermal decomposition of the gas phase and selectively deposit material within the boundaries of the desired cross-sectional regions of the part. At least one component of the gas phase is a vapor which condenses at a temperature above the ambient temperature of the chamber. Each such component can exist at a partial pressure no higher than its equilibrium vapor pressure at the chamber ambient temperature. For each cross section, the aim of the laser beam is scanned over a target area and the beam is switched on to deposit material within the boundaries of the cross-section. Each subsequent layer is joined to the immediately preceding layer to produce a part comprising a plurality of joined layers. A catalytic environment can be created proximate or upon the target area to ensure that initial nucleation and renucleation layers are receptive to substantially rapid and uniform growth of decomposed gas phase material at the target location. The catalyst can be placed on the initial substrate layer and/or upon successive layers as the layers are being deposited on the outer surface of the evolving part.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

James V Tompkins