Yuan-Liu Chen

Atomic-level manufacturing (ALM) represents a critical evolution in manufacturing technology, extending the progression from macro- and meso-manufacturing to micro- and nano-manufacturing. As an advanced capability, it has the potential to transform materials science, serve as a foundational “root technology” for new industrialization, and is emerging as a key arena of global competition among manufacturing leaders. This review systematically explores the concept of ALM and its transformative impact on future industries. It first analyzes the essence and significance of ALM, emphasizing how precise and scalable control of atoms can revolutionize production by enabling atomic-precision manufacturing, atomic-scale structural fabrication, and ultimately the on-demand placement or creation of individual atoms. This review then discusses implementation effects and potential demand, highlighting broad application prospects in integrated circuits, quantum information, aerospace, and precision instrumentation. It also reviews technical systems and development status, focusing on the core elements that underpin ALM, including simulation and design software with supporting databases, atomic-level processing, atomic-level assembly, and atomic-level characterization, and summarizes representative domestic and international achievements and the major technical challenges across these areas. By examining contemporary products, the paper demonstrates practical ALM-enabled advances in fields such as novel materials and high-end sensors, illustrating its role in driving future industrial upgrading. In addition, it clarifies the distinctions and connections between ALM, integrated-circuit manufacturing, nano-manufacturing, and quantum technologies, thereby outlining ALM’s unique characteristics and development trajectory. Finally, the review traces the historical origins of ALM and assesses future breakthroughs, forecasting wide-ranging impacts on industry, the economy, and society.

Cutting force measurement is an effective way to monitor milling processes. In this paper, a novel four components piezoelectric rotational dynamometer was proposed for measurement of three-axial cutting forces F_x, F_y, and F_z, and torque M_z. A force measurement structure was designed utilizing five piezoelectric force sensors, and the structure was modeled and optimized for both high rigidity and high force transmission efficiency. Finite element simulation was conducted to verify the feasibility of the designed structure. Static tests were carried out and showed that the developed rotational dynamometer had high force measurement sensitivities of 13.8 mV/N, 11.4 mV/N, 17.9 mV/N, and 451.1 mV/N·m of F_x, F_y, F_z, and M_z respectively, and a low linearity error of less than 0.81% for all components. Milling experiments were conducted to verify the in-process cutting force measurement capability of the proposed rotational dynamometer. The results showed that the measured forces had a high consistency compared with those measured by a commercial standard dynamometer, and the measured forces could accurately identify the cutting states of each tooth of the cutter during the milling process. This work provides an effective approach for monitoring of milling process and process optimization.

Ultra-precision diamond milling is a crucial technology for machining precision components with complex-shaped surfaces and microstructure array surfaces. Machining process monitoring is a promising approach to improving machining quality. This paper proposes a spindle-integrated three-axis cutting force measurement method for ultra-precision diamond milling using force piezoelectric force sensors. A spindle-integrated force measurement mechanism utilizing four piezoelectric force sensors arranged symmetrically and diagonally for measuring three-axis cutting forces was designed. Calibration tests showed that the linearity of force detection in three directions was less than 2%. Tool-setting experiments based on force detection signals were conducted, demonstrating the capacity of precision tool-setting in the Z-direction with an accuracy of less than 100 nm. A Wiener filter was employed to eliminate measurement noise from vibration and inertial forces under spindle rotation. Ultra-precision milling experiments were carried out based on the designed spindle-integrated force measurement mechanism, and the measurement results demonstrated that the system could effectively detect cutting forces below 50 mN and exhibited good correlation with the measurement results of commercial standard dynamometers. This paper provides a promising and effective in-process force measurement technology for the ultra-precision milling process.

Thin-walled components possess high strength and lightweight characteristics; thus, they are widely used in aerospace, automotive, and other industrial fields. However, their low stiffness makes them susceptible to deformation induced by cutting forces during machining, which leads to poor form accuracy. To address this issue, this paper proposes an in-process deformation estimation and compensation method. Because direct, accurate measurement of the deformation at the cutting point is challenging, the deformation is estimated based on the deformations measured at points in the uncut area along the same axial line as the cutting point. To establish the deformation relationship along the axial line for estimation, finite element method simulations are conducted to generate axial deformation profiles corresponding to different cutting force locations. Additionally, a calibration coefficient obtained through experiments is applied to enhance the accuracy of the deformation estimation. Then, the estimated deformation is fed into the control loop of the fast tool servo system to compensate for machining-induced deformation effectively. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, machining experiments on sinusoidal pit arrays and sinusoidal grid microstructures are performed. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method substantially improves machining accuracy.

Diamond is a promising next-generation semiconductor material, offering a wider band gap, higher electron mobility, and superior thermal conductivity compared with silicon. However, its exceptional hardness makes it challenging to fabricate. In this study, we demonstrate a novel approach to realize material removal on hydrogen-terminated diamond surfaces by atomic force microscope (AFM) tip-based local anodic oxidation. By adjusting both the applied voltage and hydrogen plasma etching parameters, the material is removed over an area larger than the AFM tip size. Notably, the hardness of the material surrounding the removal zone is significantly reduced, enabling it to be scratched with a silicon tip. These findings open a promising pathway for improving the machinability of diamonds in future device applications.

With the widespread adoption of ultra-precision machining (UPM) in manufacturing, accurately monitoring the temperature within micro-scale cutting zones ha