Capacidades
Precision Drilling & Slotting
CNC diamond-core drilling, ultrasonic drilling, and precision slotting for quartz, sapphire, and ceramics — holes from 0.3 mm diameter with ±0.01 mm positional accuracy.
Precision Drilling & Slotting of Brittle Non-Metallic Materials
Drilling and slotting of fused quartz, sapphire, and technical ceramics presents unique challenges: radial cracking, chipping at hole entry/exit, taper error, and heat accumulation. Tuguan Semiconductor has developed optimized drilling protocols for each material-tool combination, achieving chip-free holes and tight positional accuracy on production quantities.
Drilling Methods
Diamond Core Drilling
The primary method for holes ≥ 0.8 mm diameter in all ceramic and quartz grades. Hollow diamond-plated cores remove material annularly, minimizing cutting force and heat.
| Specification | Standard | Precision |
|---|---|---|
| Hole diameter range | 0.8–150 mm | 0.8–50 mm |
| Diameter tolerance | ±0.05 mm | ±0.01 mm |
| Positional accuracy | ±0.05 mm | ±0.02 mm |
| Roundness | ±0.03 mm | ±0.01 mm |
| Taper (per 10 mm depth) | < 0.02 mm | < 0.01 mm |
| Exit chipping (max) | < 0.3 mm | < 0.1 mm |
Key practices:
- Peck drilling cycles with DI water flood cooling prevent heat accumulation
- Dedicated entry/exit backing plates prevent breakout chipping on exit side
- In-feed rates calibrated to material hardness and drill diameter
Ultrasonic Drilling
For holes < 0.8 mm, very hard materials (sapphire, SiC), or high-precision arrays, ultrasonic-assisted drilling combines rotary and axial vibration to dramatically reduce cutting force.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Min hole diameter | 0.3 mm |
| Max depth-to-diameter ratio | 10:1 |
| Surface finish inside bore | Ra 0.4–1.6 μm |
| Subsurface damage | < 5 μm |
| Taper | < 0.005 mm per 10 mm depth |
Advantages over conventional drilling:
- Up to 50% reduction in cutting force — critical for thin-wall parts
- Near-zero exit chipping on sapphire and SiC
- Achieves depth-to-diameter ratios unattainable with standard diamond cores
Slotting & Milling
CNC Diamond Slotting
Straight and contoured slots in quartz and ceramics are machined using diamond-dressed slitting wheels or end mills on CNC machining centers.
| Feature | Capability |
|---|---|
| Min slot width | 0.5 mm |
| Slot width tolerance | ±0.02 mm |
| Slot depth tolerance | ±0.02 mm |
| Surface roughness (slot walls) | Ra 0.8–1.6 μm |
| Corner radius (internal) | ≥ 0.3 mm |
| Max slot depth | 50 mm (width-dependent) |
Typical slotted features:
- Gas distribution slots in showerheads and injectors
- Anti-rotation slots and keyways
- Wafer slot arrays in boats (50–200 slots at precise pitch)
- Notches and flats for orientation features
Hole Arrays & Multi-Hole Patterns
Precision multi-hole patterns (showerheads, gas injectors, carrier plates) are produced using CNC drilling programs with servo-controlled positioning.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Hole pitch repeatability | ±0.02 mm |
| Max holes per part | 2,000+ (showerhead) |
| Hole diameter uniformity (array) | ±0.01 mm |
| Positional grid error (CMM verified) | ±0.03 mm |
Process note: Multi-hole plates are drilled in a single setup using vacuum fixturing to prevent part shift between holes — critical for maintaining uniform gas flow distribution in CVD showerheads.
Material Drilling Guide
| Material | Preferred Method | Min Hole Ø | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural fused quartz | Diamond core | 0.8 mm | Low hardness; fast drilling |
| Synthetic fused silica | Diamond core | 0.8 mm | Same as natural quartz |
| Sapphire | Ultrasonic + diamond | 0.3 mm | Hard and brittle; requires US assist |
| Alumina 99.5% | Diamond core | 0.8 mm | Moderate; standard coolant |
| Silicon nitride | Diamond core + US | 0.5 mm | High fracture toughness |
| Silicon carbide | Diamond core + US | 1.0 mm | Hardest ceramic; slow feed |
| Boron nitride | Carbide drill | 0.5 mm | Soft; standard tooling acceptable |
Quality Verification
All drilled and slotted features are verified against drawing requirements:
- CMM measurement of hole position, diameter, and roundness
- Borescope inspection for bore surface condition on deep holes
- Surface profilometer for bore roughness on precision components
- Go/no-go gauges for production lot diameter verification
- Exit chipping measurement under optical microscope (50×)