Edge chipping of silicon wafers in rotating grinding

Rotating grinding is the most commonly used technique in silicon wafer thinning, while it will induce edge chipping as wafer thickness decrease. This will lead to wafer breakage, and thus resulting in cost waste. This study investigates edge chipping of silicon wafers in rotating grinding. The study correlates edge chipping with grinding process parameters, such as wheel rotation speed, wafer rotation speed and wheel feed rate, as well as the crystallographic orientations and thickness of silicon wafer. It identifies the relationship between the edge chipping and the grinding parameters, crystallographic orientations and wafer thickness respectively. In addition, this study discusses the mechanisms of edge chipping based on machining mechanics.