Pulse Energy Manipulation of Material Properties

Abstract

Material properties are manipulated using rapid pulse application of energy in combination with applied electric or magnetic fields. When sintering, annealing or crystallizing a target film, the pulse repetition cycle can be constrained to ensure material temperature rises above and falls below the Curie temperature before the next energy pulse. This process results in enhanced material properties as compared to traditional techniques having a single, slow temperature excursion and subsequent application of the applied external field.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for manipulating material properties of a target film, comprising:
 applying repeated pulsed energy, comprising a total energy, cycle time, duration, and time between each pulse, while simultaneously applying an electric field or a magnetic field to the target film facilitating dipole reorientation resulting in enhanced material properties of the target film.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the target film comprises a ferroelectric material when the electric field is applied. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the dipole reorientation comprises electric dipole reorientation. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the enhanced material properties comprise piezoelectric properties and sensitivity. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the target film comprises a magnetic material when the magnetic field is applied. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the dipole reorientation comprises magnetic dipole reorientation. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the enhanced material properties comprise magnetic properties. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the pulsed energy is sourced from a photonic flash lamp, electric current induced resistive heating, laser illumination, radiation, UV illumination, or AC magnetic field application. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the target film comprises a sintered, crystallized, or annealed material. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising sintering, crystallizing or annealing the target film by applying the repeated pulsed energy at a total energy, cycle time, duration, and time between each pulse sufficient to sinter, crystallize or anneal the target film. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the repeated pulsed energy is sufficient to increase the temperature of the target film above the Curie temperature followed by cooling of the temperature of the target film to a temperature below the Curie temperature before the next energy pulse. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the repeated pulsed energy is applied to the target film with the film temperature remaining below the Curie temperature throughout a pulsing cycle.