Patent ID: 9427885
Filing Date: 2016-08-30
CPC Classification: B23K,B26D,B26F,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A method of introducing a structure or a structural change in a substrate or a region thereof, said method comprising: a) placing a substrate which is electrically insulating or semiconducting at room temperature between at least two electrodes connected to a user-controlled voltage supply; b) applying, with said user-controlled voltage supply, a voltage of user-defined magnitude across a region of said substrate, said voltage giving rise to an increase in electrical current through said substrate or said region, thereby applying a defined amount of electrical energy to said substrate; c) applying additional energy to said substrate or said region so as to increase a temperature and an electrical conductivity of said substrate or said region so as to initiate the current flow in the applying b), said additional energy originating either from an additional energy or heat source or from components of said voltage applied in the applying b); and d) dissipating said electrical energy applied in b) in said substrate, wherein the dissipating d) is controlled solely by (i) the user-defined magnitude of the applied voltage of the applying b), (ii) a user-defined period of time of the applying b), (iii) an impedance of said voltage supply, or (iv) any combination of (i)-(iii); wherein said control of the dissipating d) by controlling (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv), is achieved by solely user-defining (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv), and without a programmed or feedback circuit analyzing a trans-substrate current or trans-substrate voltage over time; and wherein said substrate which is electrically insulating at room temperature or electrically semiconducting at room temperature is provided in a) having at least one electrically insulating layer attached; and wherein said electrically insulating layer has an insulating region which is adjacent to and in contact with a substrate, wherein in a region of the substrate a structure or structural change is to be introduced, wherein the applying c) is performed such that said electrically insulating layer, if provided as a solid in a), is liquefied in said insulating region, or is performed such that said electrically insulating layer, if provided as a liquid in a), is partially evaporated in said insulating region, and wherein during the dissipating d), said electrically insulating layer is partially displaced in said insulating region, through the dissipation of said electrical energy, and wherein, after the dissipating d), a gaseous, liquefied, or partially evaporated electrically insulating layer flows into said structure and thereby closes and at least partially fills said structure.