Electron beam machining

(EBM) MM461
Dr. Dermot Brabazon
Sch. Of Mech. and Manu. Eng.
Dublin City University

EBM -Introduction

Electrons generated in a vacuum

chamber
Similar to cathode ray tube

EBM main elements of m/c

EBM main elements

10-4 torr
Electron gun
Cathode - tungsten filament at 2500
3000 degC
Emission current between 25 and
100mA (a measure of electron beam
density)

Electron beam

Emmision current increases with

increases in temperature and
accelerating voltage (kV). It is also
dependent on cathode material.
Electrons are focused by the field
formed by the grid cup and by a
magnetic or electrostatic lens system.

Material removal

Electrons therfore hit workpiece in a well

defined manner, over a circular area typically
0.025 mm in diameter.
Kinetic energy of the electrons is rapidly
translated into heat, causing a
correspondingly rapid increase in the
temperature of the workpiece, to well above
its boiling point. Material removal by
evaporation then occurs. Power densities of
1.55 MW/mm2.

Welding / Automation

The elements of the EBM centre can

also be use for welding and can be
automated with the addiation of moving
tables or robotic manipulators.

Emission current

Je = AT2 exp(-b/kT)

Je = 2.33E-6 (Va3/2 / dac2 ) 2

Ie = KVa3/2

Je = Ie / Ae

Material removal

In the region where the beam of electrons meet

the workpiece, their energy is converted into
heat
Workpiece surface is melted by a combination of
electron pressure and surface tension
Melted liquid is rapidly ejected and vaporized to
effect material removal
Temperature of the workpiece specimen outside
the region being machined is reduced by pulsing
the electron beam (10kHz or less)

Theory

Ep = VoIetp

fp = 1/( tp+ ti)

w = IeV/Ae

Advantages

Large depth-to-width ratio of material

penetrated by the beam with applications of
very fine hole drilling becoming feasible
There is a minimum number of pulses ne
associated with an optimum accelerating
voltage. In practice the number of pulses to
produce a given hole depth is usually found
to decrease with increase in accelerating
voltage.

Hole formed in an alloy steel

after a single pulse of EBM

Kaczmarek, 1976

Rates of material removal

(power 1kW)
Material
Volumetric removal rate (mm3 s-1)
Tungsten
1.5
Aluminium
3.9

(Adapted from Bellows, 1976)

Limit of accelerating voltage

Increasing the hole depth requires a much

greater rise in the number of pulses at low
voltage, due mainly to a relative rise in heat
losses resulting from conduction and melting
of the adjacent metal layers.
For a given number of pulses little
improvement in material removal rate is
obtained from increasing the accelerating
voltage above 120 kV.

Surface roughness

Depends on material being machined

Pitting is common depends on thermal
properties of material and pulse energy
Ra increases from 5-10m to 8-15m
have been reported in nickel, tungsten
and gold for an increase in pulse charge
from 10E-9 to 200E-9 As.

Heat affected zone

Microstructure of the surface layer

around the hole can be severly altered
by the EBM process (e.g. the formation
of an amorphous white layer in steels)
This layer increases with pulse duration
and hole diameter.
Can be as much as 0.25 mm

Applications of EBM
1.

Drilling

2.

Perforating of sheet

3.

Pattern generation (associated with

integrated circuit fabrication)

Drilling

Electron beam machines are fitted with

systems for numerically controlling the beam
power, focus and pulse duration, and
mechanical motion
Cylindrical and other configurations, such as
conical and barrel shaped holes, of various
diameters can now be drilled with consistent
accuracy at rates of several thousand holes
per second.

Perforation

Usually lined with an auxiliary material

The electron beam first penetrates
through the sheet forming a vapour
channel within the fused material, and
then enters the auxiliary lining.
An eruption of vapour occurs, causing
ejection of molten material.

Perforation

104 to 105 holes per second have to be

produced (s pules needed)
Ceramic and syntethic filter material
applications (e.g 620 holes/mm 2)

Pattern generation

The beam is positioned accurately by means of

deflection coils at the location where a pattern is to be
written, by exposing a film of electron resist coated on
either a chrome mask blank or a wafer, for the
production of the lithographic definition required.
Resist film is immersed in the developer, usually a
solvent. Due to the difference in solubility between the
original and exposed resist polymers, differential
material removal occurs.
A fine pattern of polymer is thus obtained. This pattern is
then used as an active mask to avoid unwanted etching
of the integrated circuit mask or wafer .

Pattern generation

Line widths of a few hundred

Writing speed 20 MHz
Across a 125mm mask an accuracy of
0.125m can be achieved in about 60
minutes.