Microscopic Grinding Effects on Fabrication of Ultra-fine Micro Tools

A developed grinding system employing super-fine abrasive wheels was used to fabricate ultra-fine microtools having a variety of shapes. The machine successfully produced a cylindrically shaped micro-tool having a tip diameter of less than 1 μm. The surfaces of the produced micro-tools were investigated by advanced analytical methods. Fracture strength of the micro-tools was evaluated by nano-indentation testing, and their surface chemical properties were analyzed by XPS. The results suggest that the surface of processed microtools might have been strengthened by allowing the penetration and diffusion of oxygen atoms into the material, and allowing oxidation.