Presidential Young Investigator Award: Precision Finishing of Ceramics

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Ceramics are widely used in precision electronics and biological applications such as sensors, bio-implants, and magnetic heads, and have potential for use in mechanical components such as engines and bearings. In view of the high accuracy required, ceramic surfaces for these applications are generated primarily by slicing, grinding and fine finishing processes such as lapping and polishing. The processes alter the near-surface mechanical and electromagnetic properties of the ceramic causing their performance in systems to deteriorate. Therefore, a critical need exists to understand these effects and to be able to control them through suitable finishing/post- finishing processes. The goal of this research is to understand the science and technology of ceramic finishing to generate atomically smooth surfaces of high quality. The research will use well developed surface characterization techniques such as x-ray diffraction, electron and tunnelling microscopy to characterize the near-surface deformation in finished ceramic surfaces. It will quantify deformation induced changes in the near-surface electromagnetic and mechanical properties. A series of studies will be carried out to understand the material removal mechanism during fine- finishing and its influence on the near-surface properties. By integrating the process-property understanding developed above, fine-finishing processes will be developed for generating ceramic surfaces with controlled surface quality.