Microscale surface textures (e.g., microgrooves, dimples, pillars) play a crucial role in tribology, optics, biomedical devices, and micro-electro-mechanical systems. Among various microfabrication technologies, micro-electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) stands out as a cost-effective method for the fabrication of these surface textures with high accuracy. However, despite the rapid advancements in this field in recent years, a comprehensive and targeted review of micro-EDM for functional surface texturing is currently lacking in the literature. To address this gap, this paper systematically reviews recent progress in micro-EDM texturing across four major application areas: cutting tools, bioimplants, surgical instruments and mold components. For each field of application, the functional mechanisms, achievable surface features, demonstrated performance improvements, and existing technical challenges of micro-EDM are critically discussed and analyzed. Furthermore, current limitations and recommended future research directions are elaborated. This review provides valuable insights and practical guidance for advancing micro-EDM surface texturing and offers a roadmap for its broader adoption in industrial applications.

Atomic scale manufacturing is a necessity of the future to develop atomic scale devices with high precision. A different perspective of the quantum realm, which includes the tunnelling effect, leakage current at the atomic-scale, Coulomb blockade and Kondo effect, is inevitable for the fabrication and hence, the mass production of these devices. For these atomic-scale device development, molecular level devices must be fabricated. Proper theoretical studies could be an aid towards the experimental realities. Electronic transport studies are the basis to realise and interpret the problems happening at this minute scale. Keeping these in mind, we present a periodic energy decomposition analysis (pEDA) of two potential candidates for moletronics: phthalocyanines and porphyrins, by placing them over gold substrate cleaved at the (111) plane to study the adsorption and interaction at the interface and then, to study their application as a channel between two electrodes, thereby, providing a link between pEDA and electronic transport studies. pEDA provides information regarding the bond strength and the contribution of electrostatic energy, Pauli’s energy, orbital energy and the orbital interactions. Combining this analysis with electronic transport studies can provide novel directions for atomic/close-to-atomic-scale manufacturing (ACSM). Literature survey shows that this is the first work which establishes a link between pEDA and electronic transport studies and a detailed pEDA study on the above stated molecules. The results show that among the molecules studied, porphyrins are more adsorbable over gold substrate and conducting across a molecular junction than phthalocyanines, even though both molecules show a similarity in adsorption and conduction when a terminal thiol linker is attached. A further observation establishes the importance of attractive terms, which includes interaction, orbital and electrostatic energies, in correlating the pEDA study with the transport properties. By progressing this research, further developments could be possible in atomic-scale manufacturing in the future.

Microcutting is a precision technology that offers flexible fabrication of microfeatures or complex three-dimensional components with high machining accuracy and superior surface quality. This technology may offer great potential as well as advantageous process capabilities for the machining of hard-to-cut materials, such as tungsten carbide. The geometrical design and dimension of the tool cutting edge is a key factor that determines the size and form accuracy possible in the machined workpiece. Currently, the majority of commercial microtools are scaled-down versions of conventional macrotool designs. This approach does not impart optimal performance due to size effects and associated phenomena. Consequently, in-depth analysis and implementation of microcutting mechanics and fundamentals are required to enable successful industrial adaptation in microtool design and fabrication methods. This paper serves as a review of recent microtool designs, materials, and fabrication methods. Analysis of tool performance is discussed, and new approaches and techniques are examined. Of particular focus is tool wear suppression in the machining of hard materials and associated process parameters, including internal cooling and surface patterning techniques. The review concludes with suggestions for an integrated design and fabrication process chain which can aid industrial microtool manufacture.