In the highly precise and complex field of semiconductor chip manufacturing, each step is like a delicate dance in the microscopic world, and diamond micropowder plays a crucial role. From the initial processing of basic materials such as silicon wafers to the core processes of final chip manufacturing, it, with its excellent performance, becomes a core element in ensuring the precision and quality of semiconductor processing.

I. Silicon Wafer Cutting

        As the basic carrier for semiconductor chip manufacturing, the cutting quality of silicon wafers directly affects the implementation of subsequent processes. During the cutting process, diamond micropowder, with its high hardness, becomes a key component of the cutting tool.

1. Cutting Tool Structure: Tools for cutting silicon wafers usually adopt a design where diamond micropowder is uniformly embedded in a metal or resin matrix. The particle size of these diamond micropowders is generally between 5 and 20 microns. They are closely arranged on the working surface of the tool, like countless tiny but sharp blades.

2. Cutting Principle and Effect: When the cutting equipment drives the tool to rotate at high speed, and the diamond micropowder comes into contact with the silicon wafer surface, it quickly cuts into the silicon wafer with its extremely high hardness, separating the silicon wafer according to the preset size and shape. In this process, the uniform distribution and high hardness of the diamond micropowder ensure the stability and precision of the cutting process. Taking the common cutting of 8-inch silicon wafers as an example, by using cutting tools containing diamond micropowder, the cutting precision can be controlled within ±20 microns, the cut edge is neat and smooth, effectively reducing defects such as chipping and cracks at the edge of the silicon wafer, providing a good foundation for subsequent grinding and polishing processes.

II. Silicon Wafer Grinding Process

After silicon wafer cutting, there will be a damaged layer and unevenness on its surface caused by cutting. At this time, grinding is needed to eliminate these defects and obtain the required surface quality.

1. Rough Grinding Stage: Diamond micropowder with a relatively large particle size is selected, generally between 10 and 30 microns. After mixing it with a specific abrasive liquid, it is evenly applied to the grinding wheel. Driven by the grinding equipment, the grinding wheel rotates at high speed, bringing the diamond micropowder into full contact with the silicon wafer surface. These larger diamond micropowders are like tiny "mills," quickly removing the damaged layer and most of the uneven parts on the surface of the silicon wafer, reducing the surface roughness from several microns after cutting to about 1-2 microns, while ensuring the consistency of the silicon wafer thickness, and the thickness deviation can be controlled within ±10 microns.

2. Fine Grinding Stage: As the grinding progresses, a finer diamond micropowder is switched to, with a particle size range of 1-5 microns. In this stage, the main function of diamond micropowder is to further refine the silicon wafer surface and eliminate fine scratches and unevenness left during the rough grinding process. By precisely controlling parameters such as grinding pressure, speed, and time, fine grinding can reduce the surface roughness of the silicon wafer to 0.1-0.2 microns, making sufficient preparations for the subsequent polishing process, making the silicon wafer surface reach a near-mirror-like flatness, meeting the strict requirements of semiconductor chip manufacturing for high-precision material surfaces.

III. Silicon Wafer Polishing Process

Polishing is the final key process in silicon wafer processing, aiming to achieve atomic-level smoothness on the silicon wafer surface and provide ideal surface conditions for core processes such as photolithography in chip manufacturing.

1. Polishing Principle and Materials: In the polishing process, diamond micropowder with an extremely fine particle size, usually between 0.05 and 0.5 microns, is mixed with a polishing liquid with a special formula to form a polishing slurry. The chemical components in the polishing liquid react chemically with the silicon wafer surface, making the atomic layers on the silicon wafer surface active and easy to remove, while the diamond micropowder, under the pressure and friction applied by the polishing equipment, extremely finely removes the microscopic convex parts on the silicon wafer surface.

2. Impact on Photolithography: After polishing with diamond micropowder, the surface roughness of the silicon wafer can be reduced to less than 1 nanometer, almost reaching atomic-level smoothness. This ultra-smooth surface is crucial for the photolithography process in chip manufacturing. In the photolithography process, light needs to be precisely irradiated to the silicon wafer surface through the photolithography mask, and any minor defects on the silicon wafer surface may cause deformation or distortion of the photolithography pattern. The silicon wafer polished with diamond micropowder can greatly improve the precision of photolithography, enabling chip manufacturers to produce smaller chip components. For example, through this high-precision polishing technology, chip manufacturing processes have been able to achieve 7-nanometer or even smaller process nodes, significantly improving chip performance and integration. More transistors and other components can be integrated on the same area of the chip, thereby improving the chip's data processing capabilities and operating speed while reducing power consumption, meeting the needs of modern electronic devices for high-performance, low-power chips.