Batch fabricated SiC micro milling tools for precision machining of copper-based materials

在该项目中，将开发机械制造工艺以及光刻和蚀刻工艺的组合，并对其进行基础研究，以便经济地批量生产碳化硅微细铣刀。特别是，光刻和蚀刻工艺的结合将能够在同时单步(批处理)中制造大量微细加工工具。项目开始时的微型刀具将使用机械加工步骤(切割策略)进行生产，以便首次分析不同几何细节对切割行为的影响(结果)。这些首批演示工具的几何形状将通过目标批量工艺在考虑可制造性的情况下进行设计。切割质量和刀具磨损行为将通过对两种铜材料的迭代测试来表征。所获得的研究成果被纳入后续批量制造的开发步骤中。然后，通过组合光刻和蚀刻方法生产的微细铣刀在其切割行为和磨损方面以与机械制造的刀具相同的方式进行表征，并在几个迭代步骤中进一步优化。在本研究的基础上，可以实现批量生产碳化硅微细刀具，使其成为一种具有应用前景的微细加工刀具材料。

Within this project both, the mechanical manufacturing processes as well the combination of lithography and etch processes will be developed and fundamentally investigated for allowing economical batch production of micro milling tools made of silicon carbide. Especially the combination of lithography and etching processes will enable the manufacturing of large quantities of micro milling tools in simultaneous single steps (batch process). The micro cutters at the beginning of the project will be produced using mechanical processing steps (dicing strategies) to allow the first analyses of the impact of different geometry details on the cutting behavior (result). The geometry of these first demonstrator tools will be designed under consideration of the manufacturability by an aimed batch process. Cutting quality and tool wear behavior will be characterized using iterative tests on two copper materials. The acquired research findings are incorporated into the development steps of the later batch manufacturing. The micro milling tools produced by combining the lithographic and etching methods are then characterized in the same manner as the mechanically manufactured tools regarding their cutting behavior and wear, and further optimized in several iterative steps. Based on this research, it should be made possible to produce SiC micro tools in large quantities using a batch process, qualifying this promising material for micro milling tooling.