Microgrinding 91

4.6.2 Microgrinding Tools

4.6.2.1 Abrasive Types
Diamond and cBN are the two most widely used abrasives in microgrinding operations.
There are two types of diamond—naturally occurring and synthetically manufactured.
Both have very high wear resistance, heat conductivity, hardness, and low coefficient of
friction. But the major drawback of diamond abrasives is their high chemical reactivity
with some metallic materials that results in the transformation of diamond into its graph-
ite form. Consequently, diamond abrasives are used only for grinding of brittle nonferrous
materials such as silicon, glass, and ceramics. Sometimes, diamond grains are coated with
suitable materials that prevent oxidation and thereby improve the grinding ratio during
the grinding process. Another approach to extend the life of the abrasive tool is to use
blocky, coarse-grained diamond grits that have higher abrasion resistance and better ther-
mal stability. Sometimes, ordinary grinding wheels are coated with polycrystalline dia-
mond films obtained by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The sharp edges of
the microsized diamond crystallites are used for micropencil grinding tools. Further, cBN
has superior thermochemical stability compared to diamond. It can be used for grinding
those ferrous materials that react chemically with diamond.

4.6.2.2 Bonding of Abrasive Tools

The major bond systems used in grinding wheels are (i) metallic, (ii) resinoid, and
(iii) vitrified. Metal bonding can be separated into two different types: sintered metal bond-
ing and electroplating. In ultraprecision grinding, the sintered metal bond system is used
for thin wheels that cut brittle materials, for example, silicon wafers (slicing/dicing) [25], or
for micropencil grinding tools [26]. Often, electroplated metal bonding is applied to single-
layered grinding wheels with stochastically or well-defined positioning of the grains [27].
High heat conductivity and good wear resistance are the major benefits of metal-bonded
grinding tools.
Resin-bonded grinding wheels are normally used for rough grinding or abrasive
machining purposes. For ultraprecision grinding, epoxy or polyester resins are used to
generate high surface qualities by soft, smooth grinding or polishing, for example, in sili-
con wafer grinding.
Vitrified bonds have a glass-like structure and are fabricated at high temperatures from
mineral fluxes such as feldspars, firing clays, ground glass frits, and chemical fluxes [28].
Vitrified bonds have higher strength and are easier to dress. The elastic modulus is almost
four times higher than the resin bonding.

4.6.2.3 Geometry of the Grinding Wheels Used in Microgrinding Operations

Most grinding wheels applied in ultraprecision grinding are made with diverse design
concepts, for example, with undefined or defined grain settings, grooved wheels, or cup
wheels. Typically, the wheel diameter ranges from 50 to 400 mm and the grain sizes from
fine grained (∼0.125 mm) to coarse grained (∼200 mm). Such grinding wheels are used for
machining of materials such as silica, silicon, compound semiconductors, and materials
used in electronics components.
Grinding wheels with undefined grain settings are the most widely used type, and they
are applied with radial feed for surface grinding of optical products such as lenses and
mirrors. Cup wheels are a special type of grinding wheel in which the grains, instead of