Grinding of Single-Crystal Silicon Along Crystallographic Directions

This article studies the effect of grinding along crystallographic directions on the surface finish of single-crystal silicon. It also discusses new and=or improved processes for precision machining brittle materials, including silicon. Silicon samples were cut from (100) silicon wafers. These samples were then subjected to grinding along different crystallographic directions under the same experimental conditions. The surface roughness and the surface texture of these samples were then analyzed. The Ra and Rq values and the microphotographs of the ground silicon surfaces showed the dependency of surface finish on the grinding direction. Better surface finish was achieved when (100) silicon was ground along h110i directions. Samples ground along these directions also showed more ductile streaks on the silicon surfaces, compared with surfaces ground along the other directions.