Method for practicing a feedback controlled laser induced surface modification
First Claim
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1. A method of calculating the total laser energy needed to produce a selected laser induced surface modification reaction in a substrate moving relative to a laser beam, comprising:
- a. selecting a reaction to be induced;
b. selecting the temperature, T, at which the selected reaction shall take place;
c. determining the free energy of formation, FEF, of the reaction selected in step (a) at the temperature selected in step (b);
d. selecting the depth of surface modification, D;
e. selecting the volume fraction composition, VF, of the surface modified layer;
f. selecting the translation rate, TR, of the relative movement of the substrate with respect to the laser beam;
g. determining the coating species theoretical density, CSD, based upon the reaction selected in step (a);
h. selecting the laser beam width, BW;
i. calculating the mass of alloying coating species, MAS, needed;
j. calculating the total laser energy, TLE, needed to produce the surface modification having the volume composition selected in step (e); and
k. inputting the total laser energy, TLE, and beam width, BW, into a programmable feedback control system operatively coupled to control the power level and beam width of a laser beam used to induce said surface modification.
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Abstract
This invention is directed toward a method of calculating the total laser energy needed to produce one or more selected laser induced surface modification reactions in a substrate moving relative to a laser beam. The present invention is further directed to a method for programming a programmable feedback control system with the calculated total laser energy such that the control system may be used to control laser beam power level and beam width in a process for producing a laser induced surface modification.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of calculating the total laser energy needed to produce a selected laser induced surface modification reaction in a substrate moving relative to a laser beam, comprising:
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a. selecting a reaction to be induced;
b. selecting the temperature, T, at which the selected reaction shall take place;
c. determining the free energy of formation, FEF, of the reaction selected in step (a) at the temperature selected in step (b);
d. selecting the depth of surface modification, D;
e. selecting the volume fraction composition, VF, of the surface modified layer;
f. selecting the translation rate, TR, of the relative movement of the substrate with respect to the laser beam;
g. determining the coating species theoretical density, CSD, based upon the reaction selected in step (a);
h. selecting the laser beam width, BW;
i. calculating the mass of alloying coating species, MAS, needed;
j. calculating the total laser energy, TLE, needed to produce the surface modification having the volume composition selected in step (e); and
k. inputting the total laser energy, TLE, and beam width, BW, into a programmable feedback control system operatively coupled to control the power level and beam width of a laser beam used to induce said surface modification. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction selected in step (a) is:
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4. The method of claim 3, wherein said determining the free energy of formation, FEF, is accomplished using the relationship:
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5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction selected in step (a) is:
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6. The method of claim 5, wherein said determining the free energy of formation, FEF, is accomplished using the relationship:
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7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction selected in step (a) is:
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8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction selected in step (a) is:
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9. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining the free energy of formation, FEF, is accomplished using the relationship:
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10. The method of claim 1, wherein said calculating the total laser energy, TLE, is accomplished by solving the following equation:
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11. The method of claim 1, wherein said calculating the total laser energy, TLE, is accomplished by solving the following equation:
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12. The method of claim 1, wherein said control system is further operatively coupled to control the speed of a movement system capable of causing relative movement between said substrate and said laser beam, and further comprising inputting the selected translation rate, TR, into said control system.
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13. The method of claim 12, wherein said control system is further operatively coupled to a precursor delivery system capable of controlling the rate of delivery of a precursor comprising the selected coating species.
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14. The method of claim 1 wherein:
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a. said selecting a reaction comprises selecting a multiplicity of reactions;
b. said selecting the temperature is carried out for each selected reaction;
c. said determining the value of FEF is carried out for each selected reaction;
d. said determining the value of CSD is carried out for each selected reaction; and
e. said selecting the value of VF is carried out for each selected reaction.
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15. The method of programming a feedback control system used to control the depth and chemistry of a selected laser induced surface modification reaction in a substrate moving relative to a laser beam or a laser beam moving relative to a substrate, comprising:
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a. selecting a reaction to be induced;
b. selecting the temperature, T, at which the selected reaction shall take place;
c. determining the free energy of formation, FEF, of the reaction selected in step (a) at the temperature selected in step (b);
d. selecting the depth of surface modification, D;
e. selecting the volume fraction composition, VF, of the surface modified layer;
f. selecting the translation rate, TR, of the relative movement of the substrate with respect to the laser beam;
g. determining the coating species theoretical density, CSD, based upon the reaction selected in step (a);
h. selecting the laser beam width, BW;
i. calculating the mass of alloying coating species, MAS, needed;
j. calculating the total laser energy, TLE, needed to produce the surface modification having the volume composition selected in step (e);
k. inputting the calculated total laser energy and the selected beam width into a programmable feedback control system operatively coupled to control the power level and beam width of a laser beam used to induce said surface modification;
l. coating a substrate having a material composition compatible with the selected reaction to be induced with a precursor comprising the selected coating species;
m. causing relative movement between the coated substrate and a laser beam operatively coupled to be controlled by said control system; and
n. using said control system to control the power level and beam width of the laser beam as it irradiates the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
a. inputting the translation rate, TR, into said control system; and
b. using said control system to control the translation rate of the relative movement of the substrate with respect to the laser beam.
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17. The method of claim 15, wherein said calculating the mass of alloying coating species needed, MAS, is accomplished by solving the following equation:
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18. The method of claim 15, wherein said calculating the total laser energy, TLE, is accomplished by solving the following equation:
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