Fine grinding of silicon wafers: a mathematical model for the chuck shape

Fine grinding of silicon wafers is a patented technology to manufacture super flat semiconductor wafers cost-effectively. Two papers on fine grinding were previously published in this journal, one discussed its uniqueness and special requirements, and the other presented the results of a designed experimental investigation. As a follow up, this paper presents a study aiming at overcoming one of the technical barriers that have hindered the widespread application of this technology, namely, the difficulty and uncertainty in chuck preparation. Although the chuck shape is critically important in fine grinding, there are no standard procedures for its preparation. Furthermore, the information on the relation between the set-up parameters and the resulting chuck shape is not readily available. In this paper, a mathematical model for the chuck shape is first developed. Then the model is used to predict the relations between the chuck shape and the set-up parameters. Finally, the results of the pilot experiments to verify the model are discussed.     

Characterization of mixed-phase BN thin films deposited by plasma CVD

Boron nitride thin films have been deposited by plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition (PACVD) from non-toxic material and have been shown to have a high content of the cubic phase under certain conditions of substrate temperature and r.f. power, as measured by infrared absorption and refractive index. The electronic properties of these films have been measured and exhibited high resistivity and breakdown field strength. Al/BN/n-Si MIS diodes have been constructed and these show that the BN insulator contains negative charges. The interface state density is relatively low, however, and there is no Fermi level pinning within the bandgap     

Crystal and magnetic structures of Laves phase compound NdCo2 in the temperature range between 9 and 300 K

The crystal and magnetic structures of the Laves phase compound NdCo₂ in the temperature range from 9 to 300 K are determined by Rietveld refinement technique, using high-resolution neutron powder diffraction data. The compound crystallizes in space group above the magnetic ordering temperature T_C (≈100 K), in space group I4₁/amd below T_C and in space group Imma below the tetragonal–orthorhombic structural/magnetic transitions at T_M ≈ 42 K. The assignment of the space groups to the crystal structures of NdCo₂ in different temperature ranges complies with the reported Mössbauer studies. Detailed information of the crystal and magnetic structures of NdCo₂ at different temperatures are reported.     

Corrosion behavior of wire-arc-sprayed stainless steel coating on mild steel

The corrosion characteristics of a wire-are-sprayed stainless steel coating on mild steel have been investigated in regards to atomizing gases and sealing treatment. Salt spray test was performed. The corrosion behavior of the coating was observed under a microscope succesively through a cycling test of wetting and drying in a salt solution. The sealing-treated coating was found to rust faster compared with the non-sealing-treated coating; it protected the mild steel substrate against corrosion, but even it deteriorated the coating itself due to the interruption of the substrate as an anode. The air-atomized coating ruste more heavily than the nitrogen-atomized one. Four different phases were observed in the coating in regards to corrosion behavior; namely, chromium-based oxide, iron-based oxide, chromium-depleted metallic phase, and stainless steel matrix phase. It was found that the chromium-depleted metallic phase and the iron-based oxide are non-corrosion-resistant, whereas the chromium-based oxide and the stainless steel matrix phase are corrosion-resistant.     

Characterization of in situ synthesized TiC particle reinforced Fe-based composite coatings produced by multi-pass overlapping GTAW melting process

In this paper, in situ synthesized TiC particles reinforced Fe-based surface composite coatings by multi-pass overlapping gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) melting process employing a proper amount of graphite and ferrotitanium (FeTi) on AISI 1020 steel substrate was produced. The microstructure and wear properties of the composite coatings were investigated by means of an electron microprobe microanalysis (EPMA), X-ray diffractometer and wear tester. The results showed that the multi-pass overlapping GTAW melting surface composite coatings can be obtained under suitable welding parameters, and no crack and porosity are found in the tracks. The X-ray and EPMA results confirm that TiC particles can be formed via reaction of FeTi and graphite during multi-pass overlapping GTAW melting process. TiC particles present cubic and dendrite shape in the non-overlapping zone. It is found that there occurred TiC particles coarsening at the overlap regions, which can lead to detrimental effects on the hardness and wear performance. Composite coatings give a high hardness and excellent wear resistance; and the wear friction coefficient of the coating is less than that of the 1020 steel. As a result, multi-pass overlapping GTAW melting process can be used effectively for producing surface composite coatings with a pre-placed powder to improve wear resistance of the AISI 1020 steel.     

An Investigation of Grinding with Electroplated CBN Wheels

Grinding of hardened bearing steel with electroplated CBN wheels was Investigated with particular attention to how the wear of the abrasive grains affects the wheel topography and grinding performance during the wheel ire. Power, surface roughness, and wheel topography data were obtained throughout the wheel life for internal cylindrical grinding. Dulling of CBN gratis by attrition was found to cause an increase in the grinding power, but the degree of dulling was restricted mainly by grain fracture and also by grain pullout. Grain fracture and pullout had a much smaller effect on the progressive increase in active grain density, which caused the surface roughness to progressively decrease. Wheel failure tended to occur by stripping of the abrasive layer when the radial wear reached about 70% - 60% of the grain dimension     

High-velocity oxyfuel reactive spraying of mechanically alloyed Ni-Ti-C powders

Recently, there has been considerable interest in producing cermet coatings with nanoscale carbide grains in the size range 50 to 500 nm. In this article, the production of nanoscale TiC grains in a Ni-based alloy matrix by reactive high-velocity oxyfuel (HVOF) spraying of metastable Ni-Ti-C powder is reported. Mechanical alloying of a Ni(Cr) prealloyed powder and Ti and C elemental powders was performed in a planar-type ball mill, and materials were characterized in detail using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron micros-copy (SEM). Phase changes were correlated with milling time and other processing conditions. Results show that, by the selection of appropriate conditions, a metastable Ni-Ti-C powder could be obtained with the nominal composition 50wt.%Ni-40wt.%Ti-10wt.%C. Following sieving and classification, powder was produced with a particle size range of −38 to 8 μm, which is suitable for HVOF spraying. Coatings, approximately 250 μm thick, were deposited by HVOF spraying onto mild steel substrates, and the microstructures formed were investigated. XRD showed that a self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) reaction had occurred in the powder particles during spraying and that the principal phases present in the coating were TiC and a Ni-rich solid solution; small quantities of NiTi, TiO₂, and NiTiO₃ were also present. SEM revealed that the coatings had a characteristic, splatlike morphology and that TiC formed as a nanoscale dispersion, with a size range of ∼50 to 200 nm, within solidified splats. The microstructures of these reactively sprayed Ni-TiC coatings are briefly compared with those observed in HVOF-sprayed coatings deposited using prereacted SHS powder. The original version of this paper was published as part of the ASM Proceedings, Thermal Spray 2003: Advancing the Science and Applying the Technology, International Thermal Spray Conference (Orlando, FL), May 5–8, 2003, Basil R. Marple and Christian Moreau, Ed., ASM International, 2003.     

Dynamic recrystallization by rapid heating followed by compression for a 17Ni–0.2C martensite steel

A 17Ni–0.2C martensite steel was rapidly heated below the austenite formation temperature and deformed in compression. Continuous dynamic recrystallization was observed. The behavior is similar to that in a ferrite–pearlite steel but the onset strain is much smaller. Sub-micron ferrite grains were obtained through the dynamic recrystallization.     

水管式沉降仪产品优化研究

水管式沉降仪是土石坝安全监测的主要仪器之一,水管式沉降仪测量误差主要是由管路系统的结构、传感器稳定性和综合精度等造成。目前,水管式沉降仪在工程现场的实际应用中出现一些问题：水管沉降仪安装复杂,主要表现在控制箱、各组件之间的链接;传感器的测量方式,不是直接测得观测管内的水位高度,需要多次转换;在连接的管路中空气得不到有效排出。本文主要针对以上几种情况对水管沉降仪在实际应用中呈现的问题进行优化改进。     

Greedily computing associative aggregations on sliding windows

We present an algorithm for combining the elements of subsequences of a sequence with an associative operator. The subsequences are given by a sliding window of varying size. Our algorithm is greedy and computes the result with the minimal number of operator applications.