Investigation of electrodischarge micromachining controllable factors on machined silicon surface quality

Electrodischarge micromachining (micro-EDM) is a prospective technology for the micromachining of conductive and even semi-conductive materials. Howev er, there remain a number of application problems, particularly in relation to the understanding and control of the effect of micro-EDM controllable f actor interaction on surface integrity in machining silicon. This study inv estigates the effect of the interaction of micro-EDM parameters, such as th e rotary action of the tool electrode and discharge energy levels, on the s urface integrity of a p-type boron-doped silicon wafer. Empirical models ar e formulated that adequately describe the effects of discharge energy on th e average surface roughness and the area fraction voids. Subsequently, the nature and causes of micro-EDM surface and subsurface characteristics are d iscussed on the basis of scanning electron microscope and X-ray energy disp ersive spectrometer analysis. This provides useful information for controll ing the input process parameters to obtain smooth finished surfaces.