Semiconductor Side Grinding (with Polar Coordinates Programming) of Quartz Glass

🕜 Material Removal Rate (MRR) - 164x higher
  • Difficulties in Machining
  • HIT Achievements
  • Industry Application
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What makes Quartz Glass difficult to machine?



Quartz glass has a low coefficient of thermal expansion and high heat resistance, allowing it to maintain material stability even in environments with drastic temperature changes.  Additionally, quartz glass possesses extremely stable chemical properties, making it an excellent acid-resistant material; even highly concentrated acidic chemicals do not easily corrode it.  Quartz glass has high compressive strength, but as a result, it also exhibits high hardness and brittleness.  In semiconductor etching process equipment, quartz rings are used to fix wafers, ensuring that the wafers remain stably adsorbed onto the electrostatic chuck (E-Chuck) during dry or wet etching.

In terms of CNC machine tools, the four-axis polar coordinate program path calculation is more complex than Cartesian coordinates, resulting in longer CAM program generation times.  Furthermore, in four-axis polar coordinate grinding, there are variations in cutting speed (since the linear velocity differs across various radial regions), requiring continuous compensation adjustments, which increases NC program complexity and calculation time.  At the same time, to avoid thermal cracks and chipping, the cutting parameters are limited, making it difficult to increase machining speed.  Therefore, the machining of quartz rings is extremely time-consuming.

 
 

☑️ Side Grinding (with Polar Coordinates Programming) of Quartz Glass: Machining Information

 
    Side Grinding (with Polar Coordinates Programming) of Quartz Glass: Machining Information
  Material   Quartz Glass
  Feature   (Polar Coordinates Programming) Side Grinding
  Ultrasonic Tool Holder           HBT40-W01 Grinding Wheel Toolholder 
  Tool Selection   #200 Φ80mm Metal bond diamond grinding wheel   


 

【NEW PRODUCT - HBT-40 Ultrasonic Grinding Wheel Toolholder】For Side Grinding (with Polar Coordinates Programming) of Quartz Glass




--- As the Secret Weapon to Enter the Supply Chain of Semiconductor Industry ---

🔹 Best applied in the rough grinding of semiconductor advanced-material
🔹 Overall Machining Efficiency: 2 - 3x Higher
🔹 Material Removal Rate (MRR): More than 3x Higher
🔹 Great reduction in production costs and energy consumption


 

Product Specification

Model   HBT40-W01-2010          
Operating Frequency            20 ~ 32 kHz   
Max. Spindle Speed   24,000 rpm
Tool Interface   Thread Locking
CTS   70 bar




📣 Welcome to visit HIT's booth Q5344 at SEMICON Taiwan 2025 to learn more about ultrasonic machining products!


 
HIT HBT-40 ultrasonic grinding wheel toolholder module was used on side grinding with polar coordinates programming of quartz glass
(Figure 1. HIT HBT-40 ultrasonic grinding wheel toolholder module was used on side grinding with polar coordinates programming of quartz glass)



 

HIT's Goal in Side Grinding (with Polar Coordinates Programming) of Quartz Glass


For ultrasonic-assisted grinding process on quartz glass, the goal is to use a four-axis CNC machine with polar coordinate control of the rotary table, combined with HIT's Ultrasonic Grinding Wheel Toolholder (using metal-bonded diamond grinding wheels), to perform side grinding - rough grinding processes. The objective is to increase the overall material removal rate (MRR) while maintaining stable workpiece quality.




 

Ultrasonic-Assisted Side Grinding (with Polar Coordinates Programming) of Quartz Glass: Machining Results

 

Side Grinding (with Polar Coordinates Programming) of Quartz Glass: Material Removal Rate (MRR)

using HIT HBT-40 ultrasonic grinding wheel toolholder in side grinding with polar coordinates programming of quartz glass provides much more space for the parameters to be enhanced
(Figure 2. using HIT HBT-40 ultrasonic grinding wheel toolholder in side grinding with polar coordinates programming of quartz glass provides much more space for the parameters to be enhanced)


using HIT HBT-40 ultrasonic grinding wheel toolholder in side grinding with polar coordinates programming of quartz glass, compared to the original process, achieved 164x higher material removal rate
(Figure 3. using HIT HBT-40 ultrasonic grinding wheel toolholder in side grinding with polar coordinates programming of quartz glass, compared to the original process, achieved 164x higher material removal rate)

 
  • "Polar coordinates" are used in operations involving complex geometries and rotational motion.  By employing polar coordinates to control CNC rotary table, workpiece can rotate around its central axis, enabling more precise, efficient machining with a higher material removal rate. 
  • Ultrasonic technology introduces high-frequency micro-vibrations.  These intermittent impacts on the workpiece create space for wheel cooling and chip evacuation, which helps reduce grinding force.
  • The reduction in grinding force helped achieve a great enhancement of 164x higher material removal rate (MRR).




 

HIT Ultrasonic Machining Technology Achievements in Side Grinding (with Polar Coordinates Programming) of Quartz Glass


(with HIT HBT40 Ultrasonic Grinding Wheel Toolholder)


🕜 Material Removal Rate (MRR) - 164x higher




📣 Welcome to visit HIT's booth Q5344 at SEMICON Taiwan 2025 to learn more about ultrasonic machining products!


 

Side Grinding (with Polar Coordinates Programming) of Quartz Glass in Industry Application



Side grinding of quartz glass is applied in the Semiconductor industry, especially used for quartz ring (focus/cover ring).


Quartz glass has excellent electrical insulation property and is inert to attacks from all kinds of acids, even in very high concentrations, except for hydrofluoric acid.  The material has high compressive strength, but also displays high hardness and brittleness.  Defects on the surface may have a serious impact on its overall material strength.

In semiconductor etching process equipment, quartz rings are used to fix wafers, ensuring that the wafers remain stably adsorbed onto the electrostatic chuck (E-Chuck) during dry or wet etching.  Due to the close contact between the quartz ring and the wafer, there are very high requirements for the surface roughness of the inner ring.  Poor inner ring surface roughness may cause the wafer to suffer excessive corrosion by chemical gases or liquids during the etching process, severely affecting product yield.  However, since this material itself is highly hard and brittle, cutting parameters are easily restricted to prevent cracking and chipping of the workpiece.


That was when HIT's Ultrasonic Machining Module came to help!  HIT offers a comprehensive solution in machining advanced materials.  With the assistance of HIT's Ultrasonic Machining Technology and HIT Ultrasonic Grinding Wheel Toolholder, clients stopped worrying about poor workpiece quality while trying to speed up the process time.  The machining efficiency/material removal rate (MRR) can be enhanced while workpiece quality is stably maintained.  HIT assures its clients of not only matching up with their requirements, but also achieving even better outcomes!




💡 Learn more about other HIT Ultrasonic Machining of Semiconductor Advanced Material case studies: 



📣 Welcome to visit HIT's booth Q5344 at SEMICON Taiwan 2025 to learn more about ultrasonic machining products!