Investigation of Nanoscale Electro Machining (nano-EM) in Dielectric Oil

Interaction of Discharges in Heptane with Silicon Covered by a Carpet of Carbon Nanotubes

“…These nanoparticles, falling on the rotating liquid, are ejected aside and roll on silicon while forming a micro-channel. Nano-EDM performed by various authors [11,13,23,24] was often studied on atomically smooth surfaces like gold terraces or highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. [13,23] In the work of Egashira et al, [11] where sub-micrometer impacts are created, the current density is about 2 A mm À2 .…”

“…Nano-EDM performed by various authors [11,13,23,24] was often studied on atomically smooth surfaces like gold terraces or highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. [13,23] In the work of Egashira et al, [11] where sub-micrometer impacts are created, the current density is about 2 A mm À2 . When the size hole decreases (down to a few tens of nm), the current density decreases too (%0.01 A mm À2 , [23] and 3 Â 10 À6 A mm À2 .…”

“…When the size hole decreases (down to a few tens of nm), the current density decreases too (%0.01 A mm À2 , [23] and 3 Â 10 À6 A mm À2 . [13] ) However, the value of the current in these latter situations is not relevant because of the prevalence of the FowlerNordheim field-emission effect, [23] only the voltage value being meaningful. Then, below 100 nm typically, new phenomena are evoked to explain impact formation.…”

“…The simplest way to decrease the crater diameter is to bring the pin electrode closer to the grounded electrode. [11][12][13] Thus, the applied voltage can be lowered and the crater size reduced. It is possible to get submicron craters by using ultrasmall-diameter electrodes with submicrometer gaps.…”

Understanding Sub-20 nm Breakdown Behavior of Liquid Dielectrics

“…For difficult-to-machine materials, processes based upon the breakdown (BD) of liquid dielectrics have traditionally been used for controlled macroscale [1] and microscale [2] material removal in electric discharge machining (EDM). A recent work by the authors of this Letter [3] demonstrated that controlled electromachining in dielectrics confined in nanometer spaces can also be used to perform material removal at the sub-20 nm scale regime in atomically flat gold; a process referred to from here on as nanoelectromachining (nano-EM). Because of small (0.5-20 nm) cathode-anode gaps, the electric fields generated in nano-EM are intense (10 7 -10 9 V=m), even for voltages in the region of 100 mV to 30 V. In bulk dielectrics [4], field strengths of about 10 6 -10 7 V=m are sufficient to cause the BD of dielectrics with the Townsend avalanche as the dominant mechanism.…”