As the summer wraps up and we head into another semester, we'd like to highlight the undergraduate students that joined our research group for the summer. They worked on a variety of different projects, gaining research experience producing tangible results.

 

Hamdan Ashfaq - Developed a machine learning model to automatically classify defect patterns in Sn-58Bi solder alloys used in electronic packaging. Using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, Hamdan trained a deep learning system to identify four distinct microstructure patterns (fishbone, lamellar, fine, and coarse) that form during the cooling process and affect the electrical and mechanical properties of solder joints. The model achieved 90.14% overall accuracy, significantly reducing the time needed for pattern analysis from hours of manual expert review to just 30 minutes of automated classification.

 

Javier Gomez - Applied deep learning-based reconstruction methods to XCT scans of solder joints subjected to thermal cycling. His focus was on testing whether scan efficiency could be improved by reducing the number of projections while still maintaining image quality, using both visual and computational analysis to assess results.

 

Aila Koch - Aila analyzed the internal features of carbonaceous chondrite samples using X-ray tomography. Carbonaceous chondrites contain Calcium-Aluminum-rich Inclusions (CAIs), the oldest known condensed solids in the solar system. They are undifferentiated, meaning they have undergone little change since their formation, making them the most valuable samples for studying the conditions and processes that shaped the solar system's formation.

 

Felix Wang - Investigated damage evolution in 3D-printed aluminum alloys by analyzing void formation in inter-metallic compounds (IMCs) after tensile testing. Using high-resolution X-ray microcomputed tomography and image processing, Felix quantified how IMC fracture varied with distance from the fracture surface.

 

Thank you to these students for their hard work this past summer!