SGER: High Precision Pulsed Laser Curvature Modification

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Xu DMI-9813758 The objective of this Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) project is to develop and evaluate a curvature modification technique with precision on the order of sub-micro-radians. High precision curvature modification is useful in many manufacturing processes, particularly in microelectronics industry. For example, the required flatness of some components in a high capacity computer hard disk is on the order of ten nanometers; its curvature is less than one micro radian. Currently, no technique is available for modifying curvature with such high precision. A laser-based high-precision curvature modification technique is proposed. A controlled pulsed laser beam will be used to raise the temperature of the target material and induce plastic deformation, therefore, to change the curvature of target material. The project work will carry out exploratory research on the feasibility of using pulsed lasers for curvature modification. The repeatability of high precision curvature modification, and materials' structural and property changes due to laser irradiation will be investigated. Experimental studies will also be conducted to correlate laser processing parameters with the laser-induced curvature change. The outcome of the project will be instrumental to the evaluation and development of the precision laser bending technology. This project will provide research opportunities to graduate and undergraduate students. This research project could also become a topic in the course taught by the P.I, "Laser Processing", so that a large number of students will be introduced to novel laser processing techniques. Therefore, this project will contribute to the human resource development in the area of laser technology. 1