Three-way hybridized method for glass processing

The increasing need for micro-scale products and parts across advanced industries like biomedical, aerospace, nuclear, optical, and telecommunications has led to the rapid rise of micro-machining technology in recent years. The necessity to machine difficult-to-process, non-conductive materials like glass has increased, which has hastened the drive toward miniaturization [ 1 ]. Manufacturing components with feature sizes varying from a few micrometers to several 100 micrometers is necessary to achieve this miniaturization. Because of its extensive use in industries including chemical processing, electronics, nuclear engineering, and optical communication, glass, in particular, has emerged as a preferred material. It is renowned for its electrical insulating qualities, hard-brittle nature, superior resistance to chemical corrosion, and thermal stability in harsh environments [ 2 ]. Because of these qualities, it can be used in high-performance applications and hostile environments. MEMS, or micro-electromechanical systems, are increasingly incorporating glass due to its optical transparency, low thermal expansion, and good dielectric properties [ 3–5 ]. Glass's brittleness and poor machinability pose challenges to conventional machining techniques, limiting its quality and adoption in miniaturized systems. Advanced micro-machining methods are being developed to overcome these limitations.