Investigation of Ultraprecision Surface Creation and Subsurface Damage Evolution in Silicon Carbide

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Ekkard Brinksmeier
• Subject Area: Metal-Cutting and Abrasive Manufacturing Engineering
• Term: from 2013 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 233650219

The proposed study is aimed at combining the ultraprecision machining of single crystal and polycrystalline silicon carbide and high resolution surface zone analysis. Though near surface damage has a significant influence on the functionality of electronic and mechanical components made from silicon carbide, not much research is know within this field so far. Therefore, this project will systematically investigate the generation of damage free near surface zones in single crystal and polycrystalline silicon carbide based on economical abrasive machining processes. How to avoid material pits and cracks can be derived from the state of the art. On this basis the proposal will analyze so far not considered physical near surface zone alterations like residual stresses and lattice strains, possibly occurrence of phase transformations, lattice disorder and deformation by high resolution surface zone analysis. These findings will be correlated with machining conditions.The project is realized by supplementing a basic module by a Mercator fellow module. The fundamentals for the ultraprecision machining of single crystal and polycrystalline silicon carbide will be performed within the basic module by applying fine grinding with engineered grinding wheels consisting of coarse grain diamond abrasives and fine grain abrasives as well as mechanical and chemomechanical polishing. The Mercator fellow module will apply methods of high resolution surface zone analysis to investigate near surface damage induced by machining processes.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: USA
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Don A. Lucca