Diamond cutting of silicon with nanometric finish

Micro-cutting is a viable alternative to grinding and polishing techniques in the fabrication of high quality brittle materials. Using different diamond tools with rake angles of 0 degree and -25 degree at different cutting speeds, taper cutting experiments were carried out with increasing depth of cut on silicon. The grooves formed were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Optical Measurement Inspection System. Topographic details were studied using Atomic Force Microscope. For turned silicon surfaces with roughness value of Ra=23.8 nm and Rmax=140 nm, mirror surfaces of 1 nm roughness were achieved repeatedly by micro-cutting. The integrity of the resulting surfaces were then studied in detail by using Atomic Force Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The results prove that the microcutting mechanism, proposed in theory, is justified in actual material removal in the range of nanometers.