Abstract: A method of thermally treating a glass or glass-like material, preferably a glass sheet, without the use of conventional tunnel-type furnaces, to effect rapid heating of glass and glass-like materials from any initial temperature to any required temperature so that the glass sheet can be processed by shaping, bending, tempering, annealing, coating and floating of the glass sheet without cracking of the glass sheet is described. In the inventive method a microwave radiation with appropriate uniformity, frequency and power density is chosen so as to accomplish glass heating from any initial temperature to any required (e.g., softened) temperature in a selected short time while ensuring that the temperature distribution on the external surfaces and in the interior of the glass sheet that arises from microwave exposure is uniform enough to prevent the exposed glass sheet's internal thermal stress from exceeding its modulus of rupture, thereby avoiding glass breakage.

Abstract: A method of thermally treating a glass or glass-like material, preferably a glass sheet, without the use of conventional tunnel-type furnaces, to effect rapid heating of glass and glass-like materials from any initial temperature to any required temperature so that the glass sheet can be processed by shaping, bending, tempering, annealing, coating and floating of the glass sheet without cracking of the glass sheet is described. In the inventive method a microwave radiation with appropriate uniformity, frequency and power density is chosen so as to accomplish glass heating from any initial temperature to any required (e.g., softened) temperature in a selected short time while ensuring that the temperature distribution on the external surfaces and in the interior of the glass sheet that arises from microwave exposure is uniform enough to prevent the exposed glass sheet's internal thermal stress from exceeding its modulus of rupture, thereby avoiding glass breakage.

Abstract: A method for rapid polymerization, curing or a combination thereof of a polymerizable or curable composition to yield polymers and composites based on these polymers through the utilization of short wavelength microwave energy is described. The inventive method is generally applicable to the chemical transformation of any organic material that can be processed by heating. This invention also relates to specially prepared particulate polymerization curing materials which, when dispersed and irradiated in a polymerizable or curable composition, will effect rapid polymerization, curing or a combination of polymerization and curing of that composition without exceeding the decomposition temperature of the polymerizable or curable composition when the composition is exposed to microwave radiation. The polymerization agent may also be encapsulated by a material which coats the polymerization agent to prevent its premature release into the polymerizable or curable composition.

Abstract: A method for treatment of semiconductor material wherein the material is exposed to electromagnetic radiation having a frequency in the range of the resonance frequency in order to alter the relative positions of interstitial impurity ions and lattice nodes of the interstitial ions. The intensity of the electric field is selected to be proportional to the value of activation barrier potential of the impurity ions. The method is useful in providing accelerated diffusion of a doping impurity, activation of the ions of an implanted impurity, or in creation of metallic ohmic contacts at the surface of the semiconductor material without heating of the semiconductor material.