Xianhai Yang

Theoretical modeling of the critical conditions for ductile-regime milling of single crystalline silicon

This paper introduces a new method to build a general model for estimating the critical micromilling conditions for single crystalline silicon by considering micromilling process variables based on the generally-accepted indentation model. The analytical results show that cutting edge radius and the feed rate affect the critical conditions greatly. Furthermore, the step over percentage of the cutter radius affects the critical feed rates and the machining efficiency. It shows that an appropriate cutting edge radius is the key factor to achieve high machining efficiency while ductile-regime micromilling conditions are satisfied.

Custom Micro Tooling for Mechanical Ductile-Mode Micro/Nano Machining of Hard and Brittle Materials

Hard and brittle materials such as WC, SiC, and single crystal silicon or germanium are widely used in die/moulds for very high accuracy glass products, medical devices, and sensors for MEMS. Mechanical ductile-mode micro/nano milling is an effective method to create three dimensional geometries on these materials. One of the key factors affecting successfully ductile-mode machining is micro tooling. Due to limitations of commercially available micro tools, custom micro tooling is brought forward to give an active solution to this issue. This paper is a further study on custom micro tooling by the author, and several aspects associated with custom micro tooling have been discussed. Experimental results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the successful ductile-mode machining of hard and brittle materials by custom micro tooling. At last, this paper summarizes the techniques associated with custom micro tooling and point out the key aspects for further research on custom micro tooling.