Abstract
So-called microcracks are crucial for material removal during diamond wire sawing of silicon. But they also reduce the strength of silicon substrates after sawing due to the remaining subsurface damage. In order to investigate the influence of microcracks on strength of diamond wire sawn silicon substrates, more than 180 specimens of {100}-silicon were prepared using a reproducible scratching procedure with a Vickers indenter. Subsequently, 4-point bending tests were conducted parallel and perpendicular to the scratch grooves. The results indicate a clear anisotropy in the mechanical strength, which is mainly caused by median and also affected by radial cracking. The microstructural analysis of specimens with a single scratch or multiple scratches show results as a continuous as well as straight median crack propagation at a nearly constant damage depth over the complete length of the scratch groove. Additionally, in the case of multiple scratching, periodic crack kinking towards pre-damaged zones can be observed and, thus, further emphasises the importance of considering pre-existing damage in terms of material removal mechanisms and strength analyses.
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Notes
- 1.
It should be noted that 21 specimens of the 40 mN-\(\parallel \) configuration could not be evaluated for technical reasons. Nevertheless, the statistical results are very clear.
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Acknowledgements
This work has been financially supported by the European Union as part of the ESF-Program (Contract No. 100284335) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the research project ENOWA II (Contract No. 0325805I), which are gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank Carola Klute from Fraunhofer-Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP in Halle (Saale) for etching the samples and creating the scanning electron images.
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Wallburg, F., Meyer, K., Budnitzki, M., Kuna, M., Kaule, F., Schoenfelder, S. (2021). Influence of Microcracks on Strength of Diamond Wire Sawn Silicon Substrates. In: Abdel Wahab, M. (eds) Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Fracture, Fatigue and Wear . FFW 2020 2020. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9893-7_26
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