Preliminary in situ study of FIB-assisted method for aluminium solid-state welding at the microscale

In situ studies allow real time monitoring and deep comprehension of phenomena. This approach has been applied to the current research for the development of a novel solid-state welding technique at the microscale. The downscaling of the process has been inspired by Cold Pressure Welding (CPW) working principles and it has been carried out by a tailored setup of a high-resolution Focused Ion Beam – Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB-SEM). This work is primarily aimed at showing how FIB functionalities can be expanded and discussing the challenges that may be encountered by doing that. Therefore, a preliminary FIB-assisted methodology for cold bonding of AA1070 and AA6082 aluminium alloys at the microscale is presented. In situ cross-sectioning of the weld and proper scanning-electron imaging have revealed that, under certain pressure conditions, oxide-free aluminium interfaces are able to be joined at room temperature even at the microscale. Experimental technique improvement and testing of the obtained joints are the next steps needed in this research.