A new abrasive jet machining (AJM) device has been developed for precise et
ching and patterning of hard and brittle materials, such as ceramics, glass
and silicon. However, since conventional AJM devices cannot control precis
ely the amount of blasting abrasives, applying this method to precision mac
hining has been difficult. Moreover, in the machining of small holes, colli
ding abrasives accumulate in the bottom of the hole, preventing the direct
impact of successive abrasives onto the workpiece. As a result, the machini
ng efficiency decreases as the machining progresses. In the present paper,
the machining characteristics of the new AJM device are investigated, and d
irect etching and patterning of glass without masking are demonstrated.