GLOSSARY TERMS
A
Aerospace Engineering: The branch of engineering dealing with the design, construction, and study of the systems and equipment of aircraft and spacecraft.
B
Biomedical Devices: Instruments, tools, implants, or other items used in medical applications to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease or other conditions.
C
CAD (Computer-Aided Design): Software used for creating precise designs and technical illustrations, particularly in fields like engineering and architecture.
CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing): The use of software and computer-controlled machinery to automate a manufacturing process.
Chemical Etching: A process that removes material from a metal part using a chemical solution, often used in metal fabrication.
Clean Room: A controlled environment with a low level of pollutants, used in manufacturing and scientific research to prevent contamination.
CNC Machining: A manufacturing process where pre-programmed computer software dictates the movement of factory tools and machinery, typically for machining.
Commercial Electronics: Electronic components and devices intended for commercial markets, such as in consumer electronics.
Corrosion Resistance: The ability of a material to resist deterioration or damage from chemical reactions, such as oxidation.
D
Dielectric Material: An electrical insulator that can be polarized by an applied electric field, often used in capacitors and other electrical components.
E
Electroforming: A metal forming process that involves the electrodeposition of metal onto a model, used in precise metal part fabrication.
Electroplating: The process of coating a metal object with a thin layer of another metal using electrolysis.
Electromagnetic Shielding: The practice of reducing the electromagnetic field in a space by blocking it with barriers made of conductive or magnetic materials.
Electron Beam Lithography: A technique for creating extremely small structures using a focused beam of electrons, used in microfabrication.
Etchant: A chemical solution used to remove layers from a material, typically in processes like etching and lithography.
F
Flex Circuits: Electronic circuits assembled by mounting electronic components onto flexible plastic substrates, used in various applications for their flexibility.
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H
Heat Treatment: Industrial processes used to alter the physical, and sometimes chemical, properties of a material, often involving heating and cooling.
I
ISO Certification: A certification indicating that a company or product complies with international standards set by the International Organization for Standardization.
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L
Laser Cutting: A technology using lasers to cut materials, often employed in industrial manufacturing for its precision.
M
Material Fatigue: The weakening of a material due to repeated stress or strain over time, leading to fractures or failure.
Material Science: The study of the properties and applications of materials, including metals, ceramics, and polymers.
Metal Alloy: A substance composed of two or more metals or of a metal and another element, designed to have specific properties.
Microchip Fabrication: The process of designing and producing microchips, used in various electronic devices and systems.
Microelectronics: A subfield of electronics focused on the study and manufacture of small electronic components and systems.
Microfabrication: The process of fabricating miniature structures and devices, often involving microscale and nanoscale dimensions.
N
Nanotechnology: The manipulation and use of materials at an atomic or molecular scale, for various applications across science and engineering fields.
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P
Photoresist: A light-sensitive material used in processes like photolithography to form a patterned coating on a surface.
Photolithography: A process in microfabrication used to transfer patterns onto a substrate, typically using a light-sensitive chemical photoresist.
Precision Engineering: An area of engineering focused on designing machines and systems that require highly accurate and precise specifications.
Prototype Development: The process of creating an initial sample or model of a product to test and refine its design and functionality.
Q
Quality Control (QC): Processes and measures taken by a company to ensure that its products meet specified quality standards.
R
Rapid Prototyping: Techniques for quickly fabricating a physical model or prototype of a product using three-dimensional computer-aided design data.
S
Sputtering: A process in which atoms are ejected from a solid target material due to bombardment of the target by energetic particles, commonly used in thin film deposition.
Substrate Material: The underlying material or layer on which a process is conducted, especially in manufacturing and material science contexts.
Surface Mount Technology (SMT): A method in electronics assembly that involves mounting components directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards.
T
Thermal Annealing: A heat treatment process that alters the physical and sometimes chemical properties of a material to increase its ductility and reduce its hardness.
Thin Film: A very fine or thin layer of material, ranging from fractions of a nanometer to several micrometers in thickness.
Tolerance: The permissible limit of variation in a physical dimension or measurement, crucial in precision engineering.
U
V
Vacuum Deposition: A range of processes used to deposit layers of material atom-by-atom or molecule-by-molecule on a solid surface under vacuum conditions.
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