Slurry pressure at the cutting zone in multi-wire sawing: An experimental study

Multi-wire sawing has been widely used in the processing of semiconductor material wafers employed in integrated circuits, solar cells, etc. Recently, free abrasive multi-wire sawing has been gradually replaced by solid abrasive multi-wire sawing technology in the domain of solar wafers. However, free abrasive sawing still plays an important role in the processing of electronic-grade monocrystalline silicon wafers, where the requirements on the wafer quality are continuously increasing. Because the free abrasive multi-wire sawing process is very complex, its material removal mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, experiments were designed to measure the slurry pressure at the cutting zone during a free abrasive multi-wire sawing process to fabricate monocrystalline silicon wafers, and the pressure distribution condition throughout the cutting zone was obtained. Two sets of micropores of 0.17 mm diameter were processed on the experimental workpiece to transmit the cutting zone fluid pressure to the sensor. Each group of micropores consisted of 17 small pores, divided into three rows, with the row spacing consistent with the pitch width of the wire guide. During installation, the center line of each row of micropores was aligned with the center line of the steel wire. The pressure at the cutting zone was measured using the micropores to transfer the slurry pressure to the sensor. Calibration experiments were conducted by considering the capillary effects of the micropores, and the actual pressure at the cutting zone was obtained. Experimental results show that the slurry pressure was 0.16 bar at 40 mm near the slurry inlet. As the distance from the slurry inlet increased, the pressure fluctuated around 0.14 bar. Furthermore, at a distance of 160 mm from the slurry inlet, the sensor was not able to detect the pressure at the cutting zone. The experimental results from the free abrasive multi-wire sawing pressure measurement showed that material removal involves a three-body action comprising the metal wire, abrasive grains, and workpiece. At the cutting zone far from the location of the slurry inlet, forming a stable and continuous film with the slurry is difficult. The experimental results confirm that the force of material removal during the sawing process mainly comes from the wire tension of the steel wire. The film thickness of the slurry in the cutting zone is determined by the diameter of the abrasive between the wire and ingot. The experimental conclusion is of great significance for understanding the complex material removal process in the cutting zone for multi-wire sawing.