| abstract |
A method is described for the spark erosion of certain insulators and semiconductors such as Al2O3 and SiC involving forming a metal layer on the surface of the material to be eroded, positioning a movable electrode above the surface, initiating electrical sparking across the gap between the electrode and the metal layer, and then advancing the electrode toward the surface so as to maintain sparking, resulting in spark erosion of the surface. The method enables the implacement of holes of a variety of shapes and sizes at erosion rates of about 3 to 10 micrometers per second. |