An Alternative Non-contact Planarization Technique by Utilizing the Electrokinetic Phenomenon
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1249-E05-03
An Alternative Non-contact Planarization Technique by Utilizing the Electrokinetic Phenomenon C.S. Leo1, S.H. Ng2, D.L. Butler1,2 and S. Danyluk3 1 School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 2 Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, Singapore 3 George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
ABSTRACT In this paper, the authors introduce and present some findings on an alternative noncontact material removal technique. Material removal is made possible by utilizing the electrokinetic and hydrodynamic effects of suspended particles to manipulate their trajectories to impact onto the surface of the workpiece. The research was previously demonstrated and reported where the removal rate can be precisely controlled by varying the electrical field and the flow rate of the slurry across the surface of the workpiece. New findings are reported on the application of the technique to different materials that will highlight the attractiveness of this alternative approach to producing surfaces with roughness in the order of nanometres.
INTRODUCTION Due to the constant demand for the production of devices with increasing performance, higher precision requirements in the fabrication of micro-components with minimal defects are necessary. This means that either the current technology has to be improved or new techniques have to be introduced to satisfy the current and future requirements of producing microcomponents with yet smaller dimensions and better surfaces. Several material removal techniques have evolved over recent decades. These techniques can be classified into two categories: traditional and advanced respectively [1]. Hybrid processes were also developed to further enhance the machining capabilities of traditional processes, and to reduce time and cost. Electrolytic in-process dressing (ELID) [2,3] and electrochemical grinding (ECG) [4] are some of the distinguished examples of such hybridized methods. On the other hand, advanced machining methods are also developed and introduced in the recent years to achieve lower material removal rates with superior surface finish and minimal defects. Elastic emission machining (EEM) and ion beam machining (IBM) are some of the processes that are grouped within this category. Likewise, the electrokinetic material removal process [5], that was proposed by the authors, aims to remove material with these common goals. In this paper, recent developments and results from the electrokinetic material removal process are discussed. Studies on the material removal rates for aluminum and gold workpieces are carried out and the material removal rate and surface quality of the workpieces evaluated.
THEORY Over the past decade, particle manipulation under the influence of an electric field and fluid flow has been an area of interest, especially in the field of cell separation [6]. Research has been undertaken in the manipulation of the trajectories of the particles in various fluid
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