Laser Micromachining Laboratory
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Southern Methodist University
Faculty:
David A. Willis, Ph.D.
Graduate students:
Undergraduate students:
Connor Kite, BS
Angelique Wunderlin, BS
Brad Ray, BS
Daphne Hwong, BS
Alumni:
Vicentiu Grosu, PhD, 2005 (GM Research)
Cristian Porneala, PhD, 2006 (JPSA Laser, Manchester, NH)
Adam Dreier, BS, 2007
Daniel Perkins (Texas Christian University), REU Summer 2007
Kurt Wilson (Rice University), REU Summer 2008
Jason Stegall, BS
Mohammad Hendijanifard, PhD, 2011
Brandon Least, MS, 2010
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES:
Research activities in this laboratory are dedicated to studies of laser-assisted microfabrication, high power laser ablation, and laser micromachining. Experimental studies with nanosecond time resolution are performed to investigate thermal processes that occur on short time and spatial scales during high power laser-material interactions. Processes that are studied include heat transfer, melting, ablation, and fluid flow. Major equipment in this laboratory includes a high power Nd:YAG laser, an ultraviolet Nd:YLF laser, a Nitrogen laser-pumped dye laser, vibration isolation tables, a 1-GHz bandwidth oscilloscope, fast response optical detectors, and imaging equipment.
CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS:
Laser-Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT) and Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation Direct-Write (MAPLE-DW)
Thermocapillary flow and rupture during thin film laser micromachining
Laser texturing
High power laser ablation and phase explosion
Nanosecond time-resolved imaging and diagnostics of laser processes
LINKS:
SPIE- The International Society for Optical Engineering
ASME- The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
LIA- The Laser Institute of America
The contents of this Web site are the sole responsibility of Professor David Willis and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of Southern Methodist University. The administrator of this site is David Willis, who may be contacted at dwillis@engr.smu.edu.