Semiconductor Sintered SiC Deep Hole Drilling

🕜Efficiency increased 22% | 📈Quality increased 80% | ⚙️Tool Life improved in a stable manner
  • Difficulties in Machining
  • HIT Achievements
  • Industry Application
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What makes sintered SiC (Silicon Carbide) difficult to machine?


The major difficulties in machining sintered SiC (Silicon Carbide) lie in its material properties.  Silicon Carbide is a ceramic compound, and it can withstand high temperature (over 2,000ºC).  It has great resistance of wear because of its high hardness and rigidity. 

However, this material being hard and brittle makes it unable to endure excessive stress.  There could be severe sub-surface damage and micro-cracks if the cutting force is not well-controlled.




Client's difficulties in machining sintered SiC


🔴 Time- and manpower-consuming.
🔴 Under the circumstance of quality being maintained, customer had to manually machine the sintered SiC material.

☑️ Sintered SiC Machining Information
 
  Sintered SiC Machining Information
  Material   Sintered SiC
  Dimensions   Φ1.7 x 27mm
  [hole tolerance : Φ1.7mm ± 0.1mm]
  [aspect ratio : 15]
  Methods   Deep hole drilling
  Machine Tool   YCM NFP-55LX
  Max. Spindle Speed    43,000 rpm
  Tool Rotating Speed   10,000 rpm
  Spindle Taper    HSKE40
  Tool Holder   HSKE40-R01-06
  Integrated System   CTS; ATC; CNC Automation


 

   
(Figure. ultrasonic machining on sintered SiC workpiece under optical microscope)



Client's Goal in Machining Sintered SiC


Under the circumstance of quality being conformed to customer's reqirement (edge-crack < 0.2mm), HIT should drill 5 blind holes on one workpiece.    
*Completed by CNC machine tool automatic programming, with the implementation of HIT's Ultrasonic Technology.




Ultrasonic-Assisted Machining Sintered SiC Results


The quality is conformed to customer's requirement (edge-crack < 0.04mm).  HIT drilled 8 blind holes on one workpiece.  
*Measuring equipment : Keyence VHX-5000




HIT Ultrasonic Machining Technology Achievements


🕜 Efficiency increased 22%
📈 Quality increased 80%
⚙️ Tool Life - improved in a stable manner
💰 Cost saved - replaced manual drilling process with CNC machine tool automatic programming
 
  After Before
  Quality ≤ 0.04mm (8 holes) < 0.2mm (5 holes)
  Efficiency 47 min/per hole 60 min/per hole
  Tool Life improved -





Sintered SiC Ultrasonic Machining Notes


ü Quality Validation Graph
     *The green lines indicate customer's requirements on the quality. 
      (Edge-crack < 0.2mm)
      
       
(Hole diameter within 1.6~1.7mm)
     
 

Deep hole drilling sintered SiC has been widely applied in the Semiconductor industry
especially for shower head and wafer chuck.


Products with this kind of feature are usually strictly required to have high precision and quality due to their applications within the industry.


💡  SiC shower head : 

The shower head is a critical part of a chemical vapour deposition (CVD) chamber in the semiconductor industry, distributing gases properly to ensure uniformity of the spread of chemicals and to reduce unwanted particles and contamination. 
In order to make sure the even distribution, it is important for the drilling holes to reach a relatively strict standard of precision and quality.  Facing with the hard and brittle materials, such as SiC, it becomes far more difficult to maintain the required standard. 
This is where HIT's Ultrasonic Machining Module comes in handy!  We offer a comprehensive solution in machining these difficult-to-cut materials.  With the assistance of our Ultrasonic Machining Technology, clients need not worry about sub-surface damage or edge-crakcs in this kind of drilling feature.  We can assure our clients of matching up with their requirements or even achieving better outcome!



💡  SiC wafer chuck : 

A wafer chuck is a plate used to hold wafers during wafer processing applications, especially when they are being probed (tested).  Wafer chucks come in various shapes, sizes, and materials.  Mostly, they have circular vacuum grooves or patterns comprised of micro-holes that enable them to fix the wafers in place.
To ensure the stability of the fixation of the wafers, the quality of the micro-holes needs to comply with a relative strict standard.  When it comes to hard and brittle materials, such as SiC, it adds much more troublesome onto the manufacturing process.  
This is where HIT's Ultrasonic Machining Module comes in handy! 
We offer a comprehensive solution in machining these difficult-to-cut materials.  With the assistance of our Ultrasonic Machining Technology, clients need not worry about sub-surface damage or edge-crakcs in this kind of drilling feature.  We can assure our clients of matching up with their requirements or even achieving better outcome!