Patent ID: 7964124

Claim:
A method of forming cellular material, comprising: engineering the cellular material for a structural application or for a mechanical application or for a thermal application, wherein engineering the cellular material includes determining a desired arrangement of at least one empty space to provide the cellular material with the desired structural properties for the structural application, or to provide the cellular material with the desired mechanical properties for the mechanical application, or to provide the cellular material with the desired thermal properties for the thermal application, wherein the desired arrangement for the at least one empty space includes a desired size and location for each of the at least one empty space; performing a surface transformation process to form the desired arrangement of at least one empty space for the structural application, or for the mechanical application or for the thermal application, wherein performing the surface transformation process includes: determining a desired arrangement for a plurality of holes through a surface of a volume of material, wherein the desired arrangement for the plurality of holes includes a location, diameter and depth for each of the plurality of holes control the size and location for each of the at least one empty space that results from the surface transformation process; forming the desired arrangement of the plurality of holes in the volume of material through the surface of the volume of material; and annealing the volume of material such that the volume of material undergoes a surface transformation to transform the arrangement of the plurality of holes into the desired arrangement of at least one empty space below the surface of the volume of material.