Novel end-fly-cutting-servo system for deterministic generation of hierarchical micro–nanostructures

This paper reports on the diamond cutting based generation of hierarchical micro-nanostructures, which are conventionally difficult for both mechanical and non-mechanical methods to achieve. A novel end-fly-cutting-servo (EFCS) system, with four-axis servo motions that combine the concepts of fast/slow tool servo and endface fly-cutting, is proposed and investigated. In the EFCS system, an intricately shaped primary surface is generated by material removal, while the desired secondary nanostructures are simultaneously constructed using residual tool marks by actively controlling tool loci. The potential of the EFCS system is demonstrated firstly by fabricating a nanostructured F-theta freeform surface and a nanostructured micro-aspheric array.