CAREER: Fundamental Research on a Novel Ultrasound-assisted Water-confined Laser Micromachining Technology

该学院早期职业发展（CAREER）奖的研究目标是了解新型超声辅助，水限制激光微加工过程中耦合的激光和超声-材料相互作用，该过程将激光加工与水中的原位超声相结合。该方法包括耦合激光和超声材料相互作用的物理建模，加工过程的时间分辨观察，以及加工工件的微观结构和机械性能的表征。该项目的教育目标是将微型制造的研究与教育，社区推广和少数民族学生的参与相结合。该方法包括课程开发，结合研究成果，研究生指导，本科生和少数民族高中学生通过项目类和学院计划的参与，与当地学校和博物馆的接口，以及教学技能的提高。 如果成功，该项目将提供一个更好的理解耦合激光和超声材料在超声辅助水约束激光微加工过程中的相互作用，这可能会避免或大大减少当前的微加工缺陷。这可以导致更好的产品质量，提高制造效率，并降低成本。这将对医疗，电子，汽车和许多其他领域产生广泛的影响，这些领域对微加工的需求迅速增长。 教育活动将改善制造业地区的教育，加强大学与当地社区的联系，提高公众对激光技术的认识，并吸引更多的高中生和少数民族学生参加大学的科学和工程课程。 研究成果的传播可以通过期刊和会议出版物以及与产业界的互动来有效实现。

The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award is to understand the coupled laser and ultrasound-material interactions in a novel ultrasound-assisted, water-confined laser micromachining process, which combines laser machining with in-situ ultrasound in water. The approach includes physics-based modeling of the coupled laser and ultrasound-material interaction, time-resolved observation of the machining process, and characterization of the machined workpiece microstructures and mechanical properties. The educational objective of this project is to integrate the research in micro manufacturing with education, community outreach and minority student involvement. The approach includes curriculum development by incorporating research results, graduate students mentoring, undergraduate and minority high school student involvement through a project class and an academy program, interfacing with local schools and museum, and teaching skill improvement. If successful, this project will provide an improved understanding of the coupled laser and ultrasound material interactions in the ultrasound-assisted water-confined laser micromachining process, which can potentially avoid or greatly reduce current micromachining defects. This can lead to better product quality, increase the manufacturing efficiency, and reduced cost. This will have a broad impact on medical, electronics, automotive and many other areas, which have a rapidly growing need for micromachining. The educational activities will improve education in the manufacturing area, strengthen the university's connections with local communities, enhance the public awareness to laser technologies, and attract more high school and minority students to the university science and engineering programs. Research results dissemination can be effectively realized through journal and conference publications, and the interactions with industries.