Abstract: A radiation-curable slurry for additive manufacturing of 3D metal objects is provided, comprising: (a) 2-45 wt % of a polymerizable resin; (b) 0.001-10 wt % of one or more polymerization photoinitiators; and (c) 55-98 wt % of a mixture of metal-containing compounds, wherein the mixture of metal-containing compounds comprises, based on the weight of said mixture, 5-95 wt % of metal particles and 5-95 wt % of one or more metal precursors. An additive manufacturing method for producing a three-dimensional metal object using the slurry is provided, as well as three-dimensional metal objects obtainable by the method.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for the manufacture of a three-dimensional object, comprising (a) providing a three-dimensional model of the object, which divides the object in voxels; (b) applying a first layer of a radiation-curable slurry onto a target surface, wherein the slurry contains a polymerizable resin and a photoinitiator; (c) polymerizing the resin by illuminating the voxels of the first layer in accordance with the model with radiation at a temperature above room temperature and above the glass transition temperature of the polymerized resin, to cause polymerization of the resin to form a cross-linked polymeric matrix; (d) applying a subsequent layer of the slurry on top of the first layer; (e) polymerizing the resin by scanning the voxels of the subsequent layer in accordance with the model with radiation at a temperature above room temperature and above the glass transition temperature of the polymerized resin, to cause polymerization of the resin to form a cross-linked polymeric matri

Abstract: A radiation-curable slurry for additive manufacturing of 3D metal objects is provided, comprising: (a) 2-45 wt % of a polymerizable resin; (b) 0.001-10 wt % of one or more polymerization photoinitiators; and (c) 55-98 wt % of a mixture of metal-containing compounds, wherein the mixture of metal-containing compounds comprises, based on the weight of said mixture, 5-95 wt % of metal particles and 5-95 wt % of one or more metal precursors. An additive manufacturing method for producing a three-dimensional metal object using the slurry is provided, as well as three-dimensional metal objects obtainable by the method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a radiation-curable slurry for additive manufacturing of three-dimensional metal objects, said slurry comprising: a) 2-45 wt % of a polymerizable resin; b) 0.001-10 wt % of one or more polymerization photoinitiators; c) 55-98 wt % of metal precursor particles; with the proviso that the metal precursor is not AI2O3 or ZrO2. The invention further relates to an additive manufacturing method for producing a three-dimensional metal object, said method comprising building a green body of metal precursor particles using the slurry according to the invention, removing organic binder from the green body to obtain a metal precursor brown body, converting the metal precursor brown body to a metal brown body and sintering the metal brown body to obtain a three-dimensional metal object. In a third aspect, the invention relates to a three-dimensional metal object obtainable by the method of the invention.

Abstract: Additive manufacturing apparatus for providing a three dimensional object, and method for additive manufacturing of a three dimensional object (5). An exposure unit (11) is arranged to cure a layer of slurry onto an object (5) being formed, and a substrate (2) is arranged to receive a predetermined amount of slurry (4) and to position the predetermined amount of slurry (4) to an exposure position associated with the exposure unit (11). The substrate (2) comprises a slurry repellant layer (3) on a surface of the substrate (2). An object holder is provided for holding the object (5) being formed, and the object holder is arranged to press the object (5) being formed towards the substrate (2) into the predetermined amount of slurry (4) until a desired thickness of the layer for a next additive manufacturing step is reached.

Abstract: Semiconductor diode lasers of the so-called NAM (Non-Absorbing Mirror) type are used due to the high emanating power as writing (and reading) lasers in optical recording systems. The known lasers of this type include both in the active region (13') and in the mirror region (17, 19) a cladding layer (1), which fills a groove and is provided on an absorbing layer (9) (17, 19). The fundamental lateral mode is favored in both regions (13'), (17, 19) by absorption of part of the radiation produced. Due to the absorption in the mirror region (17, 19) mirror degradation occurs, which limits the maximum power and the life of the laser. A new semiconductor diode laser includes in the mirror region (17, 19) a first cladding layer (1'), a radiation-guiding layer (2') and a third cladding layer (6). In the radiation-guiding layer (2'), a radiation guide (15) is formed by an arrangement (12) in the radiation-guiding layer (2'), by which a step is formed in the effective refractive index.

Abstract: A semiconductor diode laser array, in which the active regions (3) are arranged in at least two groups, which are located in (two) substantially equidistant planes (V and W). At least one of the groups should comprise at least two active regions.According to the invention, the active regions (3) of one group located in the plane V are fully separated by at least one of the enclosure layers, for example the enclosure layers 2 and 4 (FIG. 1) or the enclosure layer 4 (FIG. 4) from the active regions 3 of the other group located in the plane W.

Abstract: A polarization-rotator (22) and a polarization-sensitive beam combiner (30') are arranged in the radiation path between a phase-locked diode laser array (10) radiating in a stable supermode and a collimator lens (46). The two radiation lobes (11, 12) are superposed so that a single radiation spot (S) can be obtained. The quality of the spot can be improved by an arrangement of a prism system (40) and a spatial filter (45) in the lateral far field.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser having a layer structure including a first and a second passive layer of opposite conductivity types, an active layer therebetween which forms a pn junction with one of the passive layers, and a current-limiting blocking layer which forms a reverse-biased pn junction bounding a radiation emitting active region of the active layer. The active region has a thickness which exceeds that of the remainder of the active layer, and extends through the blocking layer at least as far as the other passive layer. This achieves effective electrical and optical confinement of the active region, enabling a sufficiently low threshold current for laser operation at room temperature.