Modeling of Selective Area Laser Deposition for Solid Freeform fabrication

The results of a theoretical study of the selective area laser deposition process used for Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF) from gas phase is presented. We show how the deposition profile of carbon deposited via pyrolytic laser chemical vapor deposition using acetylene as the source gas can be computed by taking into account heat transfer, reaction, and mass transfer processes inside the reactor. The two dimensional representation of the related experimental variables are used to describe the substrate temperature, carbon deposit, and acetylene concentration in the process. The parameters describing these processes are estimated.