SBIR Phase I: Micro Laser Assisted Machining

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将展示概念验证，并确定微激光辅助加工(Micro-LAM)工艺的可行性，该工艺将减少与加工硬脆半导体和陶瓷相关的时间、成本和工作量，并扩大能力。这项拟议的研究是独一无二的，研究团队完全有资格围绕这一创新工艺进行可行性研究，该工艺以混合封装的方式将激光器耦合到钻石刀具上，以执行半导体和工程陶瓷的精密加工。将在实验室小试配置的基础上进行实验，以测试和评估微型LAM工艺和系统在工业环境下在工业加工设备上的可行性。刀具磨损、已加工材料表面光洁度和亚表面损伤数据，作为激光和工艺参数的函数，将相对于微型LAM工艺开发成成功的商业产品的潜力进行评估。该项目的总体结果将是一种具有成本效益的方法，用于生产由先进半导体和工程陶瓷制造的有用和商业可行的消费和工业产品。该项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力将出现在半导体(微电子)制造以及光学(镜面和窗户)和精密机械产品(例如轴承和密封件)的制造中，在这些领域，需要先进半导体和工程陶瓷材料的优越性能才能达到预期的性能。微型LAM技术提供了一种实现高压和高温的新方法，这些高压和温度是加工这些坚硬和名义上易碎的材料所需的。这项技术将为生产目前由于加工或使用限制而无法实现的材料和产品提供全新的能力。这种新方法有可能应用于新兴技术，如风力涡轮机和插电式电动汽车，这些技术需要先进设备的高功率和高温运行。包括用于钻石车削、铣削和钻探的机床在内的可用服务市场约为45亿美元。微LAM技术最初将把现有的(约10,000台)和新的(1.5亿美元/年)钻石车床作为附加附件。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will demonstrate proof of concept and determine the feasibility of a micro-laser assisted machining (micro-LAM) process that will both reduce the time, cost, and effort, and extend the capability, associated with machining of hard and brittle semiconductors and ceramics. The proposed research is unique, and the research team is well-qualified to perform the feasibility research around this innovative process, which couples a laser to a diamond cutting tool in a hybrid package arrangement to perform precision machining of semiconductors and engineered ceramics. Experiments will be conducted, based upon a bench scale laboratory configuration, to test and evaluate the micro-LAM process and system for feasibility in an industrial setting on industrial processing equipment. Tool wear, machined material surface finish and subsurface damage data, as a function of laser and process parameters, will be evaluated relative to the potential for the micro-LAM process to be developed into a successful commercial product. The overall result of this project will be a cost-effective method for the production of useful and commercially viable consumer and industrial products manufactured from advanced semiconductors and engineered ceramics.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will occur in semiconductor (micro-electronic) manufacturing, and for manufacturing of optical (mirror and windows) and precision mechanical products (e.g. bearings and seals), where the superior properties of advanced semiconductor and engineered ceramic materials are required to achieve the desired performance. The micro-LAM technology offers a new way to realize the high pressures and temperatures that are needed for processing these hard and nominally brittle materials. This technology will enable entirely new capabilities for production of materials and products currently not viable or achievable due to processing or use limitations. The new method has potential applications to emerging technologies, such as wind turbines and plug-in electric vehicles, where high-power and high-temperature operation of advanced devices is required. The served available market that includes machine tools for diamond turning, milling, and drilling is approximately $4.5 billion. The micro-LAM technology will initially target existing (~10,000 units) and new ($150 million/year) diamond turning machines as an add-on accessory.