Patent ID: 7022198

Claim:
A method for bonding materials using localized microwave energy comprising: applying a thin coating of a joining material to each surface of the base materials being joined; disposing each said base material such that the surface of the base materials being joined form a joint area and are in contact with the desired alignment and pressure necessary for maintaining the contact between the materials and creating the desired component assembly; heating said joint area with a microwave beam applied to the surfaces of the base material being joined to achieve localized heating of the joint area, said heating including: heating said joint area to an initial joining temperature, wherein said joining material softens and fills physical discontinuities between the surfaces of the base materials being joined, and rapidly heating said joint area to the reactive temperature of the joining material and the base materials; maintaining said joint area at said reactive temperature to allow for the interdiffusion of the base and joining materials and formation of a homogenous joint region; rapidly cooling said joint area to a recrystalization temperature and maintaining said joint area at the recystalization temperature for a predetermined period; and slowly cooling said joint area to room temperature.