Product Knowledge
Comprehensive Analysis of Silicon Carbide (SiC) Cutting Process
2024/09/23
Back
Silicon carbide (SiC) is favored in the semiconductor industry for its excellent physical and chemical properties. However, the high hardness and brittleness of SiC pose considerable challenges to its processing.
Silicon carbide (SiC) is highly favored in the semiconductor industry for its excellent physical and chemical properties. However, the high hardness and brittleness of SiC pose considerable challenges to its processing. The following are several mainstream SiC wafer cutting technologies and their characteristics:



1. Diamond Wire Cutting















Diamond wire cutting is a commonly used SiC cutting method and is suitable for the preparation of large-size SiC wafers.


图片

Advantages:

  • High efficiency:Diamond wire cutting technology, with its fast cutting speed, has become the preferred method for mass production of large-size SiC wafers, significantly improving production efficiency.

  • Low heat damage:Compared with traditional cutting methods, diamond wire cutting generates less heat during operation, effectively reducing thermal damage to the SiC crystal and maintaining the integrity of the material.

  • Good surface quality:The surface roughness of the SiC wafer obtained after cutting is low, which provides a good foundation for the subsequent grinding and polishing processes and helps to achieve higher quality surface treatment.

shortcoming:

  • High equipment cost:Diamond wire cutting equipment requires a high initial investment and has high maintenance costs, which may increase overall production costs.

  • Cable loss:Diamond wire will wear out during continuous cutting and needs to be replaced regularly, which not only increases material costs but also increases maintenance workload.

  • Limited cutting accuracy:Although diamond wire cutting performs well in conventional applications, its cutting accuracy may not meet more stringent requirements when processing complex shapes or fine structures.

Despite some challenges, diamond wire sawing technology remains a powerful tool in SiC wafer manufacturing. As the technology continues to advance and cost-effectiveness improves, this method is expected to play a greater role in SiC wafer processing in the future.



2. Laser Cutting















Laser cutting is a high-precision and high-efficiency SiC cutting method, suitable for processing complex shapes and microstructures.



图片

advantage:

  • High precisionLaser cutting technology can achieve extremely high processing accuracy and resolution, and is particularly suitable for preparing SiC wafers with complex shapes and fine structures.

  • Non-contact processing:As a non-contact processing method, laser cutting reduces mechanical damage to SiC crystals and helps maintain the integrity of the material.

  • High flexibility:By adjusting the laser parameters, laser cutting technology can flexibly respond to processing requirements of different shapes and sizes, improving the adaptability of the process.

shortcoming:

  • Heat affected zone:A large heat-affected zone may be generated during the laser cutting process, which may cause structural damage to the SiC crystal and affect the material properties.

  • High equipment cost:The acquisition and maintenance of high-energy lasers require high initial investment and operating costs, which may limit the application of laser cutting technology in large-scale production.

  • Processing speed:Although laser cutting excels in small-volume and high-precision processing, its processing speed may not be comparable to some traditional methods in mass production of large-size SiC wafers.

Laser cutting technology provides a high-precision and high-flexibility solution in SiC wafer processing, especially for applications that require extremely high processing accuracy. However, in order to fully realize its potential, it is necessary to balance its cost-effectiveness and processing efficiency.


3. Water-guided laser cutting















Water-guided Laser cutting technology is a new processing method that combines the advantages of laser cutting and water jet cutting. In this technology, the laser beam is transmitted and focused by a water jet to achieve cutting of the material.



图片

advantage:

  • High-precision machining:This technology can achieve extremely high processing accuracy and resolution, and is suitable for the preparation of SiC wafers with complex shapes and fine structures.

  • Low risk of heat injury:The cooling effect of the water jet effectively reduces the thermal impact during laser processing and reduces potential thermal damage to the SiC crystal.

  • Environmental characteristics:Using water as the cutting medium, this technology is environmentally friendly and reduces the pollution that may be generated by traditional processing methods.

  • High flexibility:By adjusting the parameters of the laser and water jet, water-guided laser cutting technology can adapt to the processing requirements of different shapes and sizes, providing process flexibility.

shortcoming:

  • Equipment complexity:The water-guided laser cutting system involves the integration of lasers, water jet equipment, and precision control systems, which increases the complexity of the equipment and the difficulty of operation.

  • Technology maturity:As a relatively new technology, water-guided laser cutting may still require further practice and verification in terms of technical maturity and stability.

  • Cost considerations:Despite their many advantages, water-guided laser cutting systems can be expensive to acquire and maintain, requiring a careful cost-benefit analysis when making an investment decision.

Water-guided laser cutting technology provides a new possibility for SiC wafer processing, which is particularly suitable for application scenarios with high requirements for processing accuracy and environmental protection. With the continuous development and maturity of the technology, its application potential in industrial production is expected to be further explored.

图片

Diverse selection of silicon carbide cutting processes

When choosing the most appropriate cutting method, the physical properties of the material, the specific requirements of the processing, and the cost-effectiveness must be comprehensively considered. Due to the wide application of SiC materials in key fields such as power electronics and automotive electronics, the continuous development and innovation of its cutting process is particularly critical. With the continuous advancement of technology, we can foresee that the future SiC cutting process will be more efficient and precise, while paying more attention to environmental protection and cost-effectiveness. This will not only promote the further expansion of the application scope of SiC materials, but will also have a far-reaching impact on the entire semiconductor industry.



Source: Semiconductor Information


Previous:Wafer backside thinning processNext:Semiconductor FTIR epitaxial film thickness measurement equipment achieves new breakthrough!

Tel:0731-84014946    Address:Yuelu District New Changhai Jianshan Science and Technology Park, Changsha, Hunan    Website: www.csgqet.com


Copyright © 2024  all right reserved :Changsha Guangqi electronic Technology Co., LTD    备案号: 湘ICP备11111111号    


  • HOME
  • Tel
  • Go Top