Surface Quality Improvement of 3D Microstructures Fabricated by Micro-EDM with a Composite 3D Microelectrode

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Surface Metrology

Background:

• Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM) is used for 3D microelectrode fabrication in micro-electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM).
• LOM introduces surface steps on microelectrodes, degrading the quality of machined 3D microstructures.
• Improving the surface quality of micro-EDM processed 3D microstructures requires addressing microelectrode surface defects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a filling method for fabricating composite 3D microelectrodes without surface steps.
• To investigate the influence of bonding temperature and Sn film thickness on step formation.
• To demonstrate the application of these composite microelectrodes in micro-EDM for producing step-free 3D microstructures.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of composite 3D microelectrodes using a proposed filling method.
• Optimization of bonding temperature and Sn film thickness for step elimination.
• Analysis of Cu and Sn element distribution using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.
• Application of fabricated composite microelectrodes in micro-EDM.

Main Results:

• Composite 3D microelectrodes with step-free surfaces were successfully fabricated under specific conditions (8 μm Sn thickness, 950 °C for 15 h).
• Uniform distribution of Cu and Sn elements was confirmed within the composite microelectrodes.
• Micro-EDM using the composite electrodes yielded 3D microstructures with significantly improved surface quality, free from steps.

Conclusions:

• The proposed filling method is effective for fabricating step-free composite 3D microelectrodes.
• The optimized composite microelectrodes enable the production of high-quality, step-free 3D microstructures via micro-EDM.
• This advancement offers a viable solution for enhancing precision in micro-fabrication processes.