Influence of abrasive concentration on the qualiy of wire-sawn silicon wafers

The sawing parameters have an impact on the depth of the defects in the wafers, and hence on their mechanical strength. However, as sawing is a highly complex system, the wafering industry is still relying on a “trial and error” approach to improve the sawing parameters. In this contribution, the effects of the abrasive concentration are studied with the help of the “rolling-indenting model”, the model most commonly used to describe the sawing process. From roughness and cracks depth measurement correlated with flexure tests, we show that using a lower silicon carbide concentration in the slurry decreases the depth of the defects as well as the roughness and results in a higher breakage strength of the wafers.