The blasting process has recently been applied to microprocessing. However, control of the process is difficult because a method for monitoring of erosion rate has not been developed. In this study, we investigated light emission during the process to develop a monitoring method. First, the emission spectra were measured. The measurements indicated that the emissions are derived from fracture of abrasives or fracture of the workpiece. Second, the intensity of emission was measured. The results indicated that light emission, which is derived from fracture of the workpiece, can be used to monitor erosion rate. In addition, emission derived from fracture of abrasives may be useful for monitoring the amount of fractured abrasives.
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