Diamond Cylindrical Grinding Wheels

SMART CUT®  Diamond Cylindrical Grinding Wheels are engineered for the precise peripheral grinding of silicon ingots, making them an ideal choice for industries such as semiconductors, electronics, automotive, and photovoltaics. These high-performance grinding wheels are designed to process the outer surfaces of silicon ingots, ensuring accurate orientation flats are created, which are essential for subsequent processing steps. The addition of the orientation flat, a marked edge indicating the crystallographic plane of the wafer, is crucial for the wafer’s alignment in future manufacturing processes.

During the post-slicing phase, wafers undergo shaping and smoothing through peripheral grinding.

Get A Quote

Features:

Advantages:

SMART CUT® Diamond Cylindrical Grinding Wheels Available

Wheel Shape

Diameter (D)

Thickness (T)

Hole Diameter (H)

X(W)

6A2T

220

65

130

5

6A2T

200

35

76

5

6A2H

200

60

 80

5

11A2

100

 28

40

31.75, 20

1A1

300

35

127

5, 7, 10

6B9H/C

300

50

48

10, 20

6A2T/C

250

60

38.1

10, 15

About Peripheral and Orientation Flat Grinding

After the delicate process of slicing silicon ingots into thin wafers, the next critical step in semiconductor manufacturing is peripheral grinding. This procedure is essential for refining the shape and dimensions of the wafers, ensuring they meet stringent industry standards for subsequent processing steps.

Peripheral grinding focuses on the outer edge of the silicon wafer, serving multiple crucial purposes:

  • check icon 1. Dimensional Accuracy: Ensures that the wafer's diameter and roundness adhere to precise specifications. This accuracy is vital for the wafers to fit correctly in the equipment used in later stages of semiconductor fabrication.
  • check icon 2. Edge Quality: Improves the mechanical strength of the wafer by removing any microcracks and surface imperfections that could lead to breakage during processing. A smooth edge is less susceptible to chipping.
  • check icon 3. Surface Preparation: Prepares the wafer for subsequent processing steps, such as layer deposition and photolithography, by ensuring a uniformly smooth edge that can influence the overall flatness and evenness of the wafer surface.

Peripheral grinding is performed using specialized grinding machines that are capable of achieving the necessary precision. These machines typically employ a rotating grinding wheel coated with an abrasive material such as diamond or silicon carbide. Key considerations in this process include:

Manufacturing Processes for Silicon Semiconductors From Ingot to Integrated Circuit
Manufacturing Processes for Silicon Semiconductors From Ingot to Integrated Circuit
  • check icon 1. Grinding Wheel Speed: Must be carefully controlled to avoid excessive heat generation, which can damage the wafer.
  • check icon 2. Feed Rate: The rate at which the wafer is fed into the grinding wheel affects both the finish quality and the rate of material removal.
  • check icon 3. Coolant Application: Coolants are essential not only for temperature control but also for removing debris from the grinding area, thus preventing contamination and ensuring a clean cut.
Orientation Flat

An integral part of the wafer processing that occurs during the peripheral grinding stage is the creation of an orientation flat. This flat is a precisely ground edge on the wafer that serves several vital functions:

  • check icon 1. Indicating Crystallographic Plane: The orientation flat marks the wafer's crystallographic plane, which is crucial for aligning the wafer correctly in subsequent processing equipment. Accurate alignment is essential for the photolithography steps, where patterns must be precisely positioned on the wafer.
  • check icon 2. Handling and Identification: It also aids in the handling of wafers and helps operators and automated systems quickly identify the orientation and type of wafer, facilitating efficient and error-free processing.
  • check icon 3. Standardization: The location and size of the orientation flat are standardized depending on the wafer diameter and type of silicon crystal (e.g., n-type or p-type), making it a universal marker used across the semiconductor industry.

The precision achieved during the peripheral grinding and the addition of an orientation flat are critical for the integrity and functionality of the final semiconductor devices. Any deviations in this stage can lead to alignment issues in layer deposition and patterning, which can ultimately affect the electrical properties and performance of the integrated circuits. Thus, maintaining high standards in this step is imperative for the production of reliable and efficient semiconductor devices.

Recommended Coolant for peripheral grinding & orientations flat grinding

Coolants play an essential role in peripheral grinding & orientations flat grinding, minimizing thermal stress and flushing away silicon particles from the grinding interface. This prevents overheating and reduces the risk of surface contamination and damage. An excellent coolant for this application.

SMART CUT® HD-2 is a synthetic coolant specifically designed for the cutting of semiconductor materials, including sapphire, silicon, germanium, single-crystal SiC, and II-VI crystals. This coolant offers excellent cut rates and imparts outstanding surface finishes with reduced warp and total thickness variation (TTV). It is ideal for diamond abrasive cropping, squaring, and wafering of silicon ingots and wafers. 

HD-2B Coolant

Case Studies - SMART CUT® vs Competitors Wheels

These case studies compare the surface speed (m/min) between SMART CUT and the Competitor's wheel across three different grinding stages: Rough Grinding, Semi-Finish Grinding, and Finish Grinding. The goal was to assess and compare the performance of both products in terms of efficiency in material removal.

Workpiece: 156mm Silicon Blocks

Parameter

SMART CUT® Diamond Wheel

Competitor's Wheel

Surface Speed

2,300 m/min

2,200 m/min

Stock Removal

1.0 mm

0.9 mm

Table Feed

450 mm/min

420 mm/min

Surface Roughness

Not specified

Not specified

Case Study 2: Semi-Finish Grinding

Workpiece: 156mm Silicon Blocks

Parameter

SMART CUT® Diamond Wheel

Competitor's Wheel

Surface Speed

2,400 m/min

2,300 m/min

Stock Removal

0.07 mm

0.06 mm

Table Feed

420 mm/min

410 mm/min

Surface Roughness

Ra 0.1 μm

Ra 0.15 μm

Case Study 3: Finish Grinding

Workpiece: 156mm Silicon Blocks

Parameter

SMART CUT® Diamond Wheel

Competitor's Wheel

Surface Speed

2,500 m/min

2,400 m/min

Stock Removal

0.05 mm

0.04 mm

Table Feed

400 mm/min

380 mm/min

Surface Roughness

Ra 0.03 μm or less

Ra 0.05 μm

Conclusion for Each Grinding Stage:

Related Products

Recently Viewed Products

ARE YOU USING RIGHT ID CUTTING BLADES

FOR YOUR APPLICATION?

LET US
HELP YOU

HAVING ISSUES WITH

YOUR CURRENT ID CUTTING BLADES?

Knowledge Center

What you should know

your next ID cutting blade?

Shopping cart
Sign in

No account yet?

Wishlist
0 items Cart
My account

Improve & Optimize your Diamond & CBN
Tools Return on investment up to 600%

Sign up to receive exclusive usage recommendations, Illustrated Trouble Shooting Guides & Sales

diamond tools manufacturer