Curve Cutting ZrO<sub>2</sub> Ceramic and Cooling Lower Surface Cutting Silicon Wafer with Laser Induced Thermal-Crack Propagation

Abstract

In laser induced thermal crack propagation (LITP) cutting brittle materials, according to the laser absorption ability, materials are divided into the body absorption and surface absorption. This paper indicates the fracture mechanism of LITP cutting surface absorption brittle materials. The crack extension appears in the lower surface firstly in this stress distribution state, then the crack extends to the upper surface and the laser scanning direction with the LITP cutting. The stress field of cutting ZrO2 ceramic is studied by finite element software ANSYS. The crack propagation process of cutting silicon wafer is studied by finite element software ABAQUS. According to the fracture mechanism, the curve cutting the ZrO2 ceramic experiments and the cooling lower surface cutting the silicon wafer experiments are carried out in this paper. Optical microscope and laser scan confocal microscope (LSCM) photographs of the curve path the ZrO2 ceramic and separation surface cutting the silicon wafer are obtained to examine the cutting quality. The quality of the curve path is very good. The quality of the separation surface in cutting the silicon wafer with the cooling lower surface is better than conventional environment.