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

该学院早期职业发展(CALEAR)奖的研究目标是了解一种新的超声辅助、水受限激光微加工工艺中激光和超声-材料的耦合作用，该工艺将激光加工与水中原位超声相结合。该方法包括基于物理的激光和超声-材料相互作用的建模，加工过程的时间分辨观察，以及被加工工件的组织和机械性能的表征。该项目的教育目标是将微型制造的研究与教育、社区推广和少数族裔学生的参与结合起来。该方法包括通过纳入研究成果进行课程开发，研究生指导，本科生和少数族裔高中生通过项目课程和学术项目参与，与当地学校和博物馆建立联系，以及提高教学技能。如果成功，该项目将提高对超声辅助水受限激光微加工过程中耦合激光和超声材料相互作用的理解，从而潜在地避免或极大地减少当前的微加工缺陷。这可以带来更好的产品质量，提高制造效率，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理工科课程。通过期刊和会议出版物以及与行业的互动，可以有效地实现研究成果的传播。

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.