Micro-end-milling of single-crystal silicon

Ductile-regime machining of silicon using micro-end-mill is almost impossible because of the brittle properties of silicon, crystal orientation effects, edge radius of the cutter and the hardness of tool materials. Micro-end-milling can potentially be used to create desired three dimensional (3D) free form surface features using the ductile machining technology for single-crystal silicon. There is still a lack of fundamental understanding of micro-end-milling of single-crystal silicon using diamond-coated tool, specifically basic understanding of material removal mechanism, cutting forces and machined surface integrity in micro-scale machining of silicon. In this paper, further research to understand the chip formation mechanism was conducted. An analysis was performed to discover how the chips are removed during the milling process. Brittle and ductile cutting regimes corresponding to machined surfaces and chips are discussed. Experiments have shown that single-crystal silicon can be ductile machined using micro-end-milling process. Forces generated when micro-end-milling single-crystal silicon are used to determine the performance of the milling process. Experimental results show that the dependence of the cutting force on the uncut chip thickness can be well described by a polynomial function order n. As cutting regime becomes more brittle, the cutting force has more complex function.     

An experimental study on microcutting of silicon using a micromilling machine

Micro-end-milling can potentially create desired 3D free-form surface features on silicon using ductile machining technology. A number of technological barriers must be overcome for micro-end-milling to be applied in the cutting of single crystal silicon. To produce smooth surfaces on brittle materials, such as silicon, it is important that the material be machined in the ductile mode. A major limitation of machining brittle materials is that the process of removing the material can generate subsurface damage. We have carried out an experimental study to find the optimum cutting conditions for obtaining ductile regime machining using a micromilling machine. The ductile and brittle regimes in the machining of silicon using diamond-coated end mills were demonstrated by machining grooves. The force ratio, F_t/F_c, was used to determine the milling performance on silicon. The experimental data show that the dominant ductile cutting mode was achieved when F_t/F_c?>?1.0.