Method for manufacturing a three-dimensional object layer by layer (102), comprising the following steps: Step a) a new layer (105) of grains (201) of a metallic material (109) is applied to a substrate (104), wherein the grains (201) have a mean particle size d50=DM, where the mean particle size is determined as a volume-equivalent sphere
diameter, with 50 µm ≥ DM ≥ 1 µm, and a mean
layer thickness SD of the newly applied layer (105) is at most 1.5*DM, in particular wherein the new layer (105) of grains (201) is applied to a previously produced layer of grains (200) of the substrate (104); Step b) the
topography of the substrate (104) is measured, including the position and shape of the individual grains (201) of the new layer (105); In step c) a lighting plan for the new layer (105) is determined from the
topography measured in step b) and the desired shape of the three-dimensional object (102); Step d) according to the illumination plan, at least a part of the new layer (105) of grains (201) is locally illuminated with an
electron beam (115), wherein the
electron beam (115) has a
beam diameter ED on the surface of the substrate (104) with ED≤0.3*DM, where the
beam diameter is determined via FWHM (=
full width at half maximum); wherein the
electron beam (115) selectively illuminates one or more parts (202) of an edge (401) of a respective grain (201), thereby fixing the grain (201) on the substrate (104), in particular on grains (200) of a previously produced layer and / or on other grains (201) of the new layer (105), and wherein the respective illuminated grain (201) remains at a temperature below the
melting point of the metallic material (109); wherein the preceding steps a) to d) are repeated several times until the three-dimensional object (102) is complete.