Experimental study on integration of laser-based additive/subtractive processes for meso/micro solid freeform fabrication

Solid freeform fabrication has attracted considerable attention lately because of its ability to build a 3D structure with a complex and arbitrary shape. This work presents initial studies to adapt this technology for the fabrication of meso-/micro-3D structures. A pulsed Nd:YAG laser was used for laser microdeposition (additive) and micromachining (subtractive) processes. An ultrasonic-based micropowder feeding system was developed to generate precise patterns of micropowders on a substrate without any pre-processing. Laser microdeposition of copper and stainless steel micropowders was accomplished. The characterization of micromachining was performed on stainless steel and copper plates with a laser beam of wavelengths of 355 nm and 266 nm. The integration of laser microdeposition and micromachining processes improved the resolution and edge quality of the meso-/micropatterns.