Semiconductor

1.Technical challenges of cutting tools in the semiconductor industry:

1)Breakthrough in material processing limits
The hardness of third-generation semiconductor materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) is close to that of diamond (Mohs hardness 9.5), and the wear rate of traditional hard alloy cutting tools is as high as 80% or more. It is necessary to rely on polycrystalline diamond (PCD) or metal ceramic cutting tools to achieve efficient machining
Wafer cutting requires controlling the edge breakage rate to be less than 1 μ m, while inner circle cutting machines are prone to surface damage of over 50 μ m due to the coarse diamond particles (28-53 μ m), requiring the development of ultrafine grain (<700nm) cutting tools.
2‌) Accuracy and stability requirements
The width of the 12 inch wafer cutting track should be controlled within 30-50 μ m, and the tool thickness error should be within ± 1 μ m. The metal ceramic blade can reduce the vibration amplitude by 60% through anti vibration design
The packaging process needs to deal with chemical corrosion (such as lead frame cutting), and the corrosion resistance of metal ceramic cutting tools needs to reach more than 5 times that of ordinary hard alloys

2.Local advantages and innovative solutions

1. Material innovation
   Metal ceramic blade: Ti (C, N) ceramic phase and metal bonded composite structure (such as PUCOAT sharp tough series), combining hardness (HRA87) and toughness, increasing the processing life of aluminum alloy by three times, and achieving a surface smoothness of Ra0.2 μ m
   PCD cutting tools: Polycrystalline diamond cutting tools have a lifespan of more than 10 times that of hard alloys in high-speed cutting, especially suitable for cutting silicon carbide wafers
2. Process optimization
   Coating technology: Nano TiAlN coating (such as CP80TM) increases tool life by 30% and processing efficiency by 40%, and has been applied to TSMC 3nm process
   Intelligent monitoring: The Sandvik CoroPlus system monitors wear in real-time through sensors, reducing downtime for tool changes
3. Breakthrough in segmented fields
   Wafer cutting: Resin bonded diamond blades can reduce cutting losses, and the global market size is expected to reach 720 million yuan (CAGR 6.7%) by 2031.
   Laser cutting: China’s first zero loss laser cutting technology, with processing accuracy for 12 inch silicon carbide wafers surpassing traditional mechanical cutting.