450results about "3-dimensional image production" patented technology

Compositions for use in the manufacture of three-dimensional objects including compositions for use as a support and / or release material in the manufacture of the three-dimensional objects are provided. There is thus provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a composition suitable for building a three-dimensional object. The compositions may include, inter alia, a curable component, having a functional group, wherein if the functional group is a polymerizable reactive functional group, then the functional group is a (meth)acrylic functional group, a photo-initiator, a surface-active agent and a stabilizer; wherein said composition has a first viscosity of about 50–500 cps at a first temperature, wherein said first temperature is ambient temperature, and a second viscosity lower than 20 cps at a second temperature wherein said second temperature is higher than said first temperature, wherein, after curing, the composition results in a solid form. There is thus provided, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a composition suitable for support in building a three-dimensional object. The compositions may include, inter alia: a non-curable component, a curable component, wherein the non-curable component is not reactive with said curable component, a surface-active agent and a stabilizer; wherein said composition has a first viscosity of about 20–500 cps at a first temperature, wherein said first temperature is ambient temperature, and a second viscosity lower than 20 cps at a second temperature wherein said second temperature is higher than said first temperature, wherein, after irradiation, the composition results in a solid, a semi-solid or liquid material. A method for the preparation of a three-dimensional object by three-dimensional printing is provided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention further provide a three-dimensional object prepared according to the methods of the invention.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object, is carried out by (a) providing a carrier and a build plate, the build plate comprising a semipermeable member, the semipermeable member comprising a build surface with the build surface and the carrier defining a build region therebetween, and with the build surface in fluid communication by way of the semipermeable member with a source of polymerization inhibitor; (b) filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid, the polymerizable liquid contacting the build surface; (c) irradiating the build region through the build plate to produce a solid polymerized region in the build region, while forming or maintaining a liquid film release layer comprised of the polymerizable liquid formed between the solid polymerized region and the build surface, the polymerization of which liquid film is inhibited by the polymerization inhibitor; and (d) advancing the carrier with the polymerized region adhered thereto away from the build surface on the build plate to create a subsequent build region between the polymerized region and the build surface; (e) wherein the carrier has at least one channel formed therein, and the filling step is carried out by passing or forcing the polymerizable liquid into the build region through the at least one channel. Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described

A method of forming a three-dimensional object, is carried out by (a) providing a carrier and a build plate, the build plate comprising a semipermeable member, the semipermeable member comprising a build surface with the build surface and the carrier defining a build region therebetween, and with the build surface in fluid communication by way of the semipermeable member with a source of polymerization inhibitor; (b) filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid, the polymerizable liquidcontacting the build surface, (c) irradiating the build region through the build plate to produce a solid polymerized region in the build region, while forming or maintaining a liquid film release layer comprised of the polymerizable liquid formed between the solid polymerized region and the build surface, wherein the polymerization of which liquid film is inhibited by the polymerization inhibitor; and (d) advancing the carrier with the polymerized region adhered thereto away from the build surface on the build plate to create a subsequent build region between the polymerized region and the build surface while concurrently filling the subsequent build region with polymerizable liquid as in step (b). Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object, comprises providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, the carrier and the build surface defining a build region therebetween; filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid; irradiating the build region through the optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from the polymerizable liquid while concurrently advancing the carrier away from the build surface to form the three-dimensional object from the solid polymer, while also concurrently: (i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with the build surface, and (ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerization zone between the dead zone and the solid polymer and in contact with each thereof, the gradient of polymerization zone comprising the polymerizable liquid in partially cured form. Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.

A method and system of creating one or more waveguides and / or patterning these waveguides to form a 3D microstructure that uses mask and collimated light. In one embodiment, the system includes at least one collimated light source selected to produce a collimated light beam; a reservoir having a photo-monomer adapted to polymerize by the collimated light beam; and a mask having at least one aperture and positioned between the at least one collimated light source and the reservoir. Here, the at least one aperture is adapted to guide a portion of the collimated light beam into the photo-monomer to form the at least one polymer waveguide through a portion of a volume of the photo-monomer.

A process for producing a ceramic composite having a porous network. The process includes providing a photocurable ceramic dispersion. The dispersion consists of a photocurable polymer and a ceramic composition. The surface of the dispersion is scanned with a laser to cure the photocurable polymer to produce a photocured polymer / ceramic composition. The photocured composition useful as a polymer / ceramic composite, or the polymer phase can be removed by heating to a first temperature that is sufficient to burn out the photocured polymer. It is then heated to a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature and is sufficient to sinter the ceramic composition to produce a purely ceramic composition having a porous network.Preferably and more specifically, the process uses a stereolithographic technique for laser scanning. The process can form a high quality orthopedic implant that dimensionally matches the bone structure of a patient. The technique relies upon laser photocuring a dense colloidal dispersion into a desired complex three-dimensional shape. The shape is obtained from a CAT scan file of a bone and is rendered into a CAD file that is readable by the stereolithography instrument. Or the shape is obtained directly from a CAD file that is readable by the stereolithography instrument.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object is carried out by providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, the carrier and the build surface defining a build region therebetween; filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid; irradiating the build region through the optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from the polymerizable liquid and advancing the carrier away from the build surface to form the three-dimensional object from the solid polymer, while also concurrently with the irradiating and / or advancing steps: (i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with the build surface, and (ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerization zone between the dead zone and the solid polymer and in contact with each thereof. The gradient of polymerization zone comprises the polymerizable liquid in partially cured form (e.g., so that the formation of fault or cleavage lines between layers of solid polymer in the three-dimensional object is reduced). Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object is carried out by: (a) providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, the carrier and the build surface defining a build region therebetween; (b) filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid, the polymerizable liquid including a mixture of (i) a light polymerizable liquid first component, and (ii) a second solidifiable component that is different from the first component; (c) irradiating the build region with light through the optically transparent member to form a solid polymer scaffold from the first component and also advancing the carrier away from the build surface to form a three-dimensional intermediate having the same shape as, or a shape to be imparted to, the three-dimensional object, and containing the second solidifiable component carried in the scaffold in unsolidified and / or uncured form; and (d) concurrently with or subsequent to the irradiating step, solidifying and / or curing the second solidifiable component in the three-dimensional intermediate to form the three-dimensional object.

A system and method of solid freeform work piece fabrication through layered deposition of feedstock material on a mold structure. An energy beam and feedstock are fed to a feed point adjacent to a mold structure, thereby forming a molten puddle. The feed point is moved relative to the mold structure, thereby advancing the molten puddle of presently fed feedstock and rapidly solidifying previously fed feedstock. The feed point is sequentially advanced within a predetermined geometric volume containing at least a portion of the mold structure, thereby sequentially fusing the feedstock, by action of the advancing molten puddle, into a near net shape work piece built-up upon the mold structure.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object is carried out by providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, the carrier and the build surface defining a build region therebetween; filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid; irradiating the build region through the optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from the polymerizable liquid and advancing the carrier away from the build surface to form the three-dimensional object from the solid polymer, while also concurrently with the irradiating and / or advancing steps: (i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with the build surface, and (ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerization zone between the dead zone and the solid polymer and in contact with each thereof. The gradient of polymerization zone comprises the polymerizable liquid in partially cured form (e.g., so that the formation of fault or cleavage lines between layers of solid polymer in the three-dimensional object is reduced). Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.

Liquid radiation curable resins for additive fabrication comprising an R-substituted aromatic thioetber triaryl sulfonmm tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate cationic photoinitiator is disclosed. A process for using the liquid radiation curable resins for additive fabrication and three-dimensional articles made from the liquid radiation curable resins for additive fabrication are also disclosed.

In a method for synthesizing polymeric microstructures, a monomer stream is flowed, at a selected flow rate, through a fluidic channel. At least one shaped pulse of illumination is projected to the monomer stream, defining in the monomer stream a shape of at least one microstructure corresponding to the illumination pulse shape while polymerizing that microstructure shape in the monomer stream by the illumination pulse.

A three-dimensional (3D) ordered polymer microstructure having a length, a width and a height and including a plurality of waveguides that can be formed utilizing a mask and collimated light. The plurality of waveguides includes a first waveguide having a first finite propagation distance extended along a first direction, a second waveguide having a second finite propagation distance extended along a second direction and a third waveguide having a third finite propagation distance extended along a third direction. Here, only one of the length, width and height of the 3D ordered polymer microstructure is limited by the first finite propagation distance of the first waveguide, the second finite propagation distance of the second waveguide and the third finite propagation distance of the third waveguide.

A polymerizable liquid, or resin, useful for the production by additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object of polyurethane, polyurea, or a copolymer thereof, is described. The resin includes at least one of (i) a blocked or reactive blocked prepolymer, (ii) a blocked or reactive blocked diisocyanate, or (iii) a blocked or reactive blocked diisocyanate chain extender.

In a method for synthesizing polymeric microstructures, a monomer stream is flowed, at a selected flow rate, through a fluidic channel. At least one shaped pulse of illumination is projected to the monomer stream, defining in the monomer stream a shape of at least one microstructure corresponding to the illumination pulse shape while polymerizing that microstructure shape in the monomer stream by the illumination pulse.

A method of forming a dual cure three-dimensional object by additive manufacturing may be carried out by mixing a first precursor liquid and a second precursor liquid to produce a polymerizable liquid comprising a mixture of (i) a light polymerizable liquid first component, and (ii) a second solidifiable component (e.g., a second reactive component) that is different from the first component (e.g., that does not contain a cationic photoinitiator, or is further solidified by a different physical mechanism, or further reacted, polymerized or chain extended by a different chemical reaction). In the foregoing: (i′) at least one reactant of the second solidifiable component is contained in the first precursor liquid, and (ii′) at least one reactant or catalyst of the second solidifiable component is contained in the second precursor liquid. Once mixed, the three-dimensional object may be formed from the resin by a dual cure additive manufacturing process.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object of polyurethane, polyurea, or copolymer thereof is carried out by: (a) providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, the carrier and the build surface defining a build region therebetween; (b) filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid, the polymerizable liquid including at least one of: (i) a blocked or reactive blocked prepolymer, (ii) a blocked or reactive blocked diisocyanate, or (iii) a blocked or reactive blocked diisocyanate chain extender; (c) irradiating the build region with light through the optically transparent member to form a solid blocked polymer scaffold and advancing the carrier away from the build surface to form a three-dimensional intermediate having the same shape as, or a shape to be imparted to, the three-dimensional object, with the intermediate containing the chain extender; and then (d) heating or microwave irradiating the three-dimensional intermediate sufficiently to form from the three-dimensional intermediate the three-dimensional object of polyurethane, polyurea, or copolymer thereof.

The invention provides a composition that includes a first monomer comprising at least one ethylenically unsaturated group and at least one Si—N linkage, and a second monomer comprising at least one thiol functional group. The invention also provides a method of forming a ceramic material and process for forming a three-dimensional ceramic material.

Methods, devices, systems, and materials are disclosed for diffraction unlimited photofabrication. A method is provided where a photoresponsive material is illuminated with a first optical pattern at a first wavelength of light. The first wavelength of light alters a solubility of the photoresponsive organic material. The photoresponsive material is also illuminated with a second optical pattern at a second wavelength of light. The second wavelength of light hinders the ability of the first wavelength of light to alter the solubility of the photoresponsive organic material where the second optical pattern overlaps the first optical pattern. The photoresponsive organic material is then developed.

Novel aromatic sulfonium salt compounds of general formula (I), photo-acid generators comprising the same, and photo-polymerizable compositions containing the same, capable of providing stereolithographic resin compositions which do not suffer from the hindrance to curing by oxygen, can easily give shaped articles having desired sizes by virtue of the high accuracy thereof in curing, can attain a satisfactory curing depth owing to the high sensitivity thereof for radiant energy and can be employed for wide usage, such as photoresist and ink for foods-packing medium, since the release of benzene is suppressed; and a stereolithographic process, using said stereolithographic resin composition.

Three-dimensional structures are fabricated by a process in which a 3D solid model is designed by software at a PC and sliced into a series of 2D layers. Each 2D layer is displayed at a dynamic mask via micro-mirror deflections projected onto a photoresist to form a layer, which is lowered and the process is repeated to build the object layer by layer.

The invention describes device and method for producing a three-dimensional object by solidifying a solidifiable material under an action of electromagnetic radiation by means of energy input via an imaging unit comprising a predetermined number of discrete imaging elements (pixels). The energy input related to a specific cross-sectional area of the three-dimensional object is controlled by exposure by means of multiple successive raster masks (bitmaps; e.g. bitmap 1 and bitmap 2 and possibly additional ones). The imaging unit is suitably controllable such that at least two masks can be generated, including a first overall mask covering the cross-sectional area (bitmap 1; with pixel-specific area elements exposing in white light) and a partial mask (bitmap 2; in which only a fraction of the area elements are exposed pixel-specifically with white light) within the overall mask. A voxel matrix may be formed. A hardness depth per voxel (volume pixel) can be specifically and precisely influenced in the solidifyable material.

A support structure for use with a semiconductor substrate in thinning, or backgrinding, thereof, as well as during post-thinning processing of the semiconductor substrate includes a portion which extends substantially along and around an outer periphery of the semiconductor substrate to impart the thinned semiconductor substrate with rigidity. The support structure may be configured as a ring or as a member which substantially covers an active surface of the semiconductor substrate and forms a protective structure over each semiconductor device carried by the active surface. Assemblies that include the support structure and a semiconductor substrate are also within the scope of the present invention, as are methods for forming the support structures and thinning and post-thinning processes that include use of the support structures.

The invention describes device and method for producing a three-dimensional object by solidifying a solidifiable material under an action of electromagnetic radiation by means of energy input via an imaging unit comprising a predetermined number of discrete imaging elements (pixels). The energy input related to a specific cross-sectional area of the three-dimensional object is controlled by exposure by means of multiple successive raster masks (bitmaps; e.g. bitmap 1 and bitmap 2 and possibly additional ones). The imaging unit is suitably controllable such that at least two masks can be generated, including a first overall mask covering the cross-sectional area (bitmap 1; with pixel-specific area elements exposing in white light) and a partial mask (bitmap 2; in which only a fraction of the area elements are exposed pixel-specifically with white light) within the overall mask. A voxel matrix may be formed. A hardness depth per voxel (volume pixel) can be specifically and precisely influenced in the solidifyable material.

A flash curing system for solid freeform fabrication which generates a plurality of radiation emitting pulses that forms a planar flash. The planar flash initiates curing of a curable material dispensed by a solid freeform fabrication apparatus. The radiation emitting pulses have a high peak power value that releases a sufficient quantity of free radicals from the photoinitiator to initiate curing and overcome the problem of oxygen inhibition. Substantially less power is consumed and less heat generated by the flash curing system compared to conventional continuous emission curing systems.

A method of forming a dual cure three-dimensional object by additive manufacturing may be carried out by mixing a first precursor liquid and a second precursor liquid to produce a polymerizable liquid comprising a mixture of (i) a light polymerizable liquid first component, and (ii) a second solidifiable component (e.g., a second reactive component) that is different from the first component (e.g., that does not contain a cationic photoinitiator, or is further solidified by a different physical mechanism, or further reacted, polymerized or chain extended by a different chemical reaction). In the foregoing: (i′) at least one reactant of the second solidifiable component is contained in the first precursor liquid, and (ii′) at least one reactant or catalyst of the second solidifiable component is contained in the second precursor liquid. Once mixed, the three-dimensional object may be formed from the resin by a dual cure additive manufacturing process.

A radiation curing composition suitable for building a three-dimensional object by a solid freeform method is disclosed. The composition includes one or more mono-functional monomers where a respective polymer has a Glass Transition Temperature higher than about 60° C., one or more di-functional oligomers where a respective polymer has a Glass Transition Temperature lower than about 40° C. and a phase separation inducing component. The phase separation may be induced during curing, resulting in a non-clear cured material having an improved impact strength and higher elongation, when compared to similar compositions without a phase separation including component.

The invention relates to a radiation curable resin composition comprising a cationically polymerizable component, a cationic photoinitiator, a hydroxy component, an impact modifier and wherein the resin composition after full cure has a modulus of >2 GPa; a yield stress<70 MPa; and a K1c value>1.3 MPa. (m)1 / 2 or an Izod value>0.45 J / cm. The resin composition can preferably be used in the preparation of three dimensional objects.