kiru

Technical Newsletter 2000/ No. 1

kezuru
DISCO CORPORATION
PS Company
Precision Diamond Planning Dept.

migaku
Cyclical Surface Chipping _ Part 1
The range of devices and materials processed Based on calculations with spindle rpm and feed rate, the
with diamond blades has broadened chipping interval in Photo 2 is consistent with the hypothesis
considerably in recent years, and many of you that the chipping was caused by a single problem area on the
periphery of the blade (Fig. 3).
are seeking to increase processing quality as
you strive for further miniaturization and better Blade Progress
cost performance. DISCO continues to work
on ways to reduce chipping but eliminating the
problem completely with brittle materials like
silicon won't be easy. Blade
Revolution
In this newsletter, we will address some of the
known causes of chipping in the hopes that
understanding our blades a little better will Problem
Area
assist you in identifying and solving problems
Chipping
at their early stages.
Fig.3: Cyclical Chipping Model

Surface chipping can be divided into three types (Fig. 1). This Regular Interval
issue will focus on cyclical surface chipping.

Initial Chipping
Calculation of chipping interval (µm)
Surface
Cyclical Chipping feed rate (mm/sec) x 60
Chipping x1000
spindle rotation (rpm)
Other Chipping
Fig.1: Types of Surface Chipping
"Problem areas on the periphery of the blade" have generally
been thought to result from external influences such as
Three factors are known to cause cyclical chipping (Fig. 2).
foreign matter or impact. Recently, however, abnormally large
This issue addresses grit, a factor whose relationship to
grit has also been shown to exert a similar influence (Fig. 4).
chipping has only recently been confirmed. The relationship
of foreign matter and impact to cyclical chipping will be
addressed in future issues of this newsletter, as will the other
Impact
types of surface chipping.

Impact
Photo 3 Photo 4
Cyclical
Grit
Chipping

Foreign Matter Grit

Fig.1: Causes of Cyclical Chipping Cyclical
Chipping
What is Cyclical Chipping? Photo 5
Photos 1 and 2 below are typical examples of lines cut in
silicon mirror wafer. As you can, there is chipping at regular
intervals in the lines in Photo 2. This is called "cyclical Foreign substance
chipping."

Photo 6 Photo 7

Fig.4: Examples of Cyclical Chipping Causes

Aluminum Hub photo 3 and 4

Blade Edge photo 5, 6 and 7
Photo 1: Normal Photo 2: Chipping

Cuts made in DISCO test mirror wafer Fig.5: Diagram of Photographed Locations

2000 / THE CUTTING EDGE No.1

 Cyclical Surface Chipping _ Part 1

How is Diamond Grit Made?

Generally, blades used in precision cutting use man-made diamond grit measuring
just a few µm. Such micron-level grit is not made grain by grain, but by crushing a
larger diamond and separating the fragments by size (Fig. 6)

Big Diamonds are Then Separated

First Crushed by Size

Fig.6: Outline of How Fine Diamond Grit is Made

Since separating the grit one grain at a time is impractical, the elutriation* process Elutriation is perhaps the most common
is generally used (Fig. 7). * way to separate very small grit. Crushed
diamond grit is mixed in a fluid and
separated by the difference in the speed at
which they precipitate

Flow of Fluid and Grit

Frequency(%) Accumulation(%)
25 100

20 80

15 60

10 40

5 20
Coarse Intermediate Fine
0 0
Fig.7: Outline of Elutriation 0.1 1 10 100 1000
Grit size(µm)

Fig.8: Grit Size

This process results in a Gaussian distribution (Fig. 8) of grit centered on a certain
grain size. For example, 4/6 µm (# 2000) diamond grit, while containing large
quantities of 4/6 µm grit, also contains grit ranging in size from 1 to 12 µm. (This
measurement is derived from the analyzing device most currently in use.)
There remains, although infinitesimally small, a probability that grit larger than µm
will also be present. In theory, the probability of grit sized between 13 µm and ∞ is
77 ppb (77 in one billion). The current industry-standard particle size analyzer has
difficulty detecting such minute amounts, but research is continuing at universities
and corporate labs. Therefore, although one is inclined to think that grit designated
as "4/6 µm " contains nothing but grit sized between 4 and 6 µm, the designation
should be viewed at most as a name.

In the Next Issue:

What is DISCO Doing? Impact -- another of the causes of cyclical chipping.
To prevent the shipment of defective products, we continue to carry out
thorough final inspections, particularly in the case of NBC-ZH blades, Announcement
all of which undergo precutting. Also, we are working closely with our If you are experiencing the problems discussed in this issue -- cyclical
diamond supplier to ensure that higher-precision separation methods chipping due to abnormally large grit -- we will be happy to provide you
and particle size measurement technologies are applied in turn. with a replacement blade. Contact your sales representative for details.
Still, we continue to pursue research in the interest of minimizing the
probability of abnormally large grit finding their way into the blade,
viewing this minimization as a fundamental component in enabling
Precision Diamond Planning Dept.
more stable cutting quality. We will use this newsletter as a forum to
PS Company
keep you informed of our progress and of any new technical
DISCO CORPORATION
information as it becomes available.
http://www.disco.co.jp

2000 / THE CUTTING EDGE No.1

00/07/2000E/s