Fabrication of micro-pin array with high aspect ratio on stainless steel using nanosecond laser beam machining

In this paper, a micro-pin array with a high aspect ratio was fabricated on AISI 304 using laser beam ablation for attachment to a vertical wall. In recent times, there has been research in various fields, including robotics and bio-MEMS, regarding attachment to vertical walls, and micro-pin arrays may offer the best solution. For vertical wall attachment, the micro-pin should have a high aspect ratio, long length, and sharp tip. The recast layer could be piled due to the chromium oxide with high surface tension and viscosity of chromium oxide, and it composed the micro-pins with high aspect ratio. Xray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to identify the characteristics of the piled recast layer. The machining characteristics for a high aspect ratio micro-pin array were investigated according to laser beam machining parameters. In addition, experiments for attaching force relative to the surface roughness of the subject plane were carried out. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.