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Single crystal calcium fluoride (CaF2) is widely used for transmissive optics in the ultraviolet and vacuum ultraviolet (UV and VUV) spectral regions because of its high optical transmission. Optical components made of CaF2 are usually manufactured by precision machining to generate high quality surfaces with low surface roughness. However, the influence of the clamping technique on the resulting surface roughness of diamond machined CaF2 has not been reported. In this research, two clamping techniques, vacuum clamping and gluing with wax, are used in off-axis diamond turning experiments with zero degree and negative rake angle diamond tools. Surface characterization by white light interferometry and atomic force microscopy show surfaces with low surface roughness. Furthermore, a significant influence of the clamping technique on the generated surface topography is observed. 

Abstract This article is written as a tribute to Professor Frederick Fongsun Ling 1927–2014. Single-point diamond machining, a subset of a broader class of processes characterized as ultraprecision machining, is used for the creation of surfaces and components with nanometer scale surface roughnesses, and submicrometer scale geometrical form accuracies. Its initial development centered mainly on the machining of optics for energy and defense related needs. Today, diamond machining has broad applications that include the manufacture of precision freeform optics for defense and commercial applications, the structuring of surfaces for functional performance, and the creation of molds used for the replication of a broad range of components in plastic or glass. The present work focuses on a brief review of the technology. First addressed is the state of current understanding of the mechanics that govern the process including the resulting forces, energies and the size effect, forces when cutting single crystals, and resulting cutting temperatures. Efforts to model the process are then described. The workpiece material response when cutting ductile and brittle materials is also included. Then the present state of the art in machine tools, diamond tools and tool development, various cutting configurations used, and some examples of diamond machined surfaces and components are presented. A discussion on the measurement of surface topography, geometrical form, and subsurface damage of diamond machined surfaces is also included. 

Single-crystal calcium fluorite (CaF2) is widely used for transmissive optics in ultraviolet and vacuum ultraviolet (UV and VUV) wavelength applications because of its exceptional transmission performance. Generally, products using CaF2 are manufactured through finishing processes such as chemo-mechanical polishing (CMP), magnetorheological finishing (MRF) or ion-beam figuring (IBF) after performing precision cutting and grinding processes for profiling. However, CaF2 is known as a brittle material with high anisotropy, and subsurface damage is induced by each cutting process. But, the effects of surface integrity on the optical and functional performance of precision machined CaF2 has not been reported yet. In this research, a newly developed multiaxial adjustment system that can precisely align specimens is used in single-axis orthogonal cutting experiments with zero degree and negative rake angle diamond radius tools to prevent pre-machining and thus pre-damaging of single-crystal CaF2 specimens. Cutting forces evaluation via piezoelectric dynamometer acquisition as well as surface analysis by atomic force microscopy and white light microscopy has been performed. Finally, smooth surfaces due to ductile material removal mechanisms could be determined on all machined specimen surfaces. 

This paper describes the development and performance evaluation of a manual multi-axes workpiece adjustment system for ultra-precision diamond machining that is capable of holding a CaF2 specimen with high positioning accuracy without pre-machining. Experiments revealed that the specimen alignment system developed in this study has sub-micrometer adjustment resolution and demonstrates a stiffness that can withstand diamond cutting forces. Applying this system to diamond cutting of CaF2 produced an error of nominal cut thickness of at most 10 nm on both ends of the 10.5 mm cutting length and achieved a defect-free finished surface.