| Abstrakt: |
The majority of semiconductor devices are made up of silicon wafers. Manufacturing of high-quality silicon wafers includes numerous machining processes, including end milling. In order to end mill silicon to a nano-meteric surface finish, it is crucial to determine the effect of machining parameters, which influence the machining transition from brittle to ductile mode. Thus, this paper presents a novel experimental technique to study the effects of machining parameters in high speed end milling of silicon. The application of compressed air, in order to blow away the chips formed, is also investigated. The machining parameters’ ranges which facilitate the transition from brittle to ductile mode cutting as well as enable the attainment of high quality surface finish and integrity are identified. Mathematical model of the response parameter, the average surface roughness (Ra) is subsequently developed using RSM in terms of the machining parameters. The model was determined, by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), to have a confidence level of 95%. The experimental results show that the developed mathematical model can effectively describe the performance indicators within the controlled limits of the factors that are being considered. |
