Process Modeling and Enhancements of Laser-Induced Plasma Micro-Machining (LIP-MM)

本研究的重点是深入了解激光诱导等离子体微加工新工艺的物理特性，与传统的聚焦激光束微加工相比，该工艺有望更好、更快地制造微特征。基于物理的模型将用于研究等离子体产生的机制，等离子体-物质相互作用，以及机器特征几何的预测。新的光学技术和对这一过程的独特改进，将基于等离子体形状的光学操纵，而不是一个斑点，将被探索。这将提高生产效率和速度至少一个数量级，并促进二维和三维几何形状和图案的制造。还将进行涉及该过程力学各方面的综合实验，以验证所开发的模型。如果成功实现，预计该项目创造的技术将在小型化技术的关键领域取得重大进展，因为它具有多种附带优势，如多材料能力、低热影响区、高吞吐量、更大的过程灵活性，最重要的是，它是基于图案或特征/区域而不是基于点或写入的加工性质。与当前基于聚焦激光束的微制造工艺相比，后一种能力将显著提高工艺吞吐量。加工能力将包括在金属、聚合物、陶瓷、复合材料和其他透明、反射和脆性材料等各种材料上生成高精度特征的能力，如深通道、酒窝、通孔和其他自由形状结构。获得的结果也将为构建和生成微/中尺度器件和图案的非光刻单步微制造技术的新研究打开大门。

The focus of this research is to gain deeper insight into the physics of the new process of Laser Induced Plasma Micromachining, which promises better and faster micro-feature fabrication as compared to conventional micro-machining with a focused laser beam. Physics-based models will be formulated for the investigation of the mechanisms of plasma generation, plasma-matter interaction, and the prediction of machined feature geometry. New optical techniques and unique enhancements to this process, based on the optical manipulation of the shape of the plasma into plasma patterns rather than a spot, will be explored. This will increase process productivity and speed by at least one order of magnitude, and facilitate the fabrication of two- and three-dimensional geometries and patterns. Comprehensive experiments involving all aspects of the mechanics of the process will also be performed to validate the models developed. If successfully realized it is anticipated that the technology created by this project will enable major advances in critical areas of miniaturization technologies, given its multiple concomitant advantages such as its multi-materials capability, low heat-affected zone, high throughput, greater in-process flexibility and, most importantly, its pattern or feature/area-based rather than spot-based or writing nature of machining. This latter ability will result in significantly increased process throughput as compared to current focused laser beam based micro-manufacturing processes. Process capabilities will include the ability to generate high-accuracy features such as deep channels, dimples, through holes and other freeform structures on a variety of materials including metals, polymers, ceramics, composites and other transparent, reflective and brittle materials. The obtained results will also open doors for new research on non-lithography based single-step micro-manufacturing techniques for building and generating micro/meso-scale devices and patterns.