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Silicon is used in the making of semiconductors. Silicon grinding is the process whereby the material is shaped and molded so it can be made into all sorts of things like integrated circuits, as well as memory that goes into computers. So, as you can imagine, computer production companies rely heavily on this process, and, as computers have taken off in sales, so have the crystal wafers made of silicon. Manufacturers are always looking at ways to streamline the process to produce a higher quality product at a faster rate of production.
Many semiconductor devices are made from silicon. In the past, such things as random access memory had also been made of the material, alongside transistors. Bell Telephone Labs are supposed to have first came out with the term 'transistor' during the 1940s and the term has stuck ever since.
As an indication as to how crucial silicon is in the making of semiconductor devices, more than 90% of them are made up of crystal silicone wafers. To further amplify this, it should be borne in mind that around one hundred and fifty million of the wafers are made annually. Therefore, quality and quantity of supplies is very important.
The crystal itself is slicing, flattened - which is known as grinding or lapping - etched and polished before it can be ready for the use with which it was intended. The reason the grinding part of its manufacture is so vital is because it helps to eliminate cracks and by doing this the substance is more effective. The actual process involves a diamond wheel rotating on its axis. It heads towards a silicon wafer, one that's also rotating, but is not actually moving towards the diamond wheel because it's held in place.
Cracks in the material are not a good thing and are often lamented by the grinder. In fact, a large portion of the silicon is actually removed during the grind process, to remove the surface cracks. One way of preventing the loss of so much silicone could be to use smaller diamond grains, these are the materials which contact the wafer's surface. It's been tested previously, with results some find encouraging.
Another technique that has been explored is the ELID, or electrolytic in-process dressing technique. By using very small grains the wheel is apparently able to self-dress, which in layman terms means the wheel sheds any worn diamond grains automatically, allowing the newer grain to take over. This is all accomplished without the need to any external interference.
Overall, some believe the use of a much smaller diamond grain is the answer to more efficient grinding. They advocate ELID because in the traditional process it's hard to use the much smaller grains that are used in the ELID process.
Silicon grinding has undergone changes throughout the years and one thing makers are looking for are ways to improve production. It may, however, be some time before ELID is used, simply because the quality is reportedly not as consistent as the conventional methods.
Many semiconductor devices are made from silicon. In the past, such things as random access memory had also been made of the material, alongside transistors. Bell Telephone Labs are supposed to have first came out with the term 'transistor' during the 1940s and the term has stuck ever since.
As an indication as to how crucial silicon is in the making of semiconductor devices, more than 90% of them are made up of crystal silicone wafers. To further amplify this, it should be borne in mind that around one hundred and fifty million of the wafers are made annually. Therefore, quality and quantity of supplies is very important.
The crystal itself is slicing, flattened - which is known as grinding or lapping - etched and polished before it can be ready for the use with which it was intended. The reason the grinding part of its manufacture is so vital is because it helps to eliminate cracks and by doing this the substance is more effective. The actual process involves a diamond wheel rotating on its axis. It heads towards a silicon wafer, one that's also rotating, but is not actually moving towards the diamond wheel because it's held in place.
Cracks in the material are not a good thing and are often lamented by the grinder. In fact, a large portion of the silicon is actually removed during the grind process, to remove the surface cracks. One way of preventing the loss of so much silicone could be to use smaller diamond grains, these are the materials which contact the wafer's surface. It's been tested previously, with results some find encouraging.
Another technique that has been explored is the ELID, or electrolytic in-process dressing technique. By using very small grains the wheel is apparently able to self-dress, which in layman terms means the wheel sheds any worn diamond grains automatically, allowing the newer grain to take over. This is all accomplished without the need to any external interference.
Overall, some believe the use of a much smaller diamond grain is the answer to more efficient grinding. They advocate ELID because in the traditional process it's hard to use the much smaller grains that are used in the ELID process.
Silicon grinding has undergone changes throughout the years and one thing makers are looking for are ways to improve production. It may, however, be some time before ELID is used, simply because the quality is reportedly not as consistent as the conventional methods.
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