Formation of subsurface cracks in silicon wafers by grinding

Single-crystal silicon is an important material in the semiconductor and optical industries.However,being hard and brittle,a silicon wafer is vulnerable to subsurface cracks(SSCs)during grinding,which is detrimental to the performance and lifetime of a wafer product.Therefore,studying the formation of SSCs is important for optimizing SSC-removal processes and thus improving surface integrity.In this study,a statistical method is used to study the formation of SSCs induced during grinding of silicon wafers.The statistical results show that grinding-induced SSCs are not stochastic but anisotropic in their distributions.Generally,when grinding with coarse abrasive grains,SSCs form along the cleavage planes,primarily the{111}planes.However,when grinding with finer abrasive grains,SSCs tend to form along planes with a fracture-surface energy higher than that of the cleavage planes.These findings provide a guidance for the accurate detection of SSCs in ground silicon wafers.