Grinding of silicon wafer for molding applications

• Main Author: Sia, Kai Ming.
• Other Authors: Tor Shu Beng
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering::Machine shop and drawings
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/45995
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This project deals with grinding the sides of a silicon wafer chip to a 10° angle, whilst achieving a good surface roughness and low subsurface damage. The experiment was conducted on a conventional sanding machine, where there is a fixture fixed in the z axis to the platform. The fixture has x and y degrees of freedom and is guided by x and y-directional tracks. The platform can be tilted to various angles but it is adjusted and fixed to 10° inclination. Verification of the angle is measured by the Omis II System machine, and the size of the grains which can affect the surface roughness is varied during the grinding procedure. Lastly, the surface roughness of the samples is measured by Sensofar Confocal Imaging Profiler. A statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA, Post Hoc test and Pearson’s correlation analyses were carried out on the results to test for significant differences and possible correlations. It was found that the size of the abrasives affects the surface roughness significantly, and that a small grain size contributes to a good surface finishing. More specifically, a grain size of P500 results in a surface roughness of 691.44nm, grain size of P800 results in a surface roughness of 610.33nm, grain size of P1200 results in a surface roughness of 474.78nm, grain size of P2400 results in a surface roughness of 432.44nm and a grain size of P4000 results in a surface roughness of 397.56nm.