Developments in advanced packaging and 3D integration have driven the demand for better ways to work with ultra-thin wafers safely. The need to run thin wafers through processes beyond the standard post-grinding steps (like polishing, detaping and dicing) has driven demand for cost-effective ways to bond ultra-thin wafers to a carrier made of sapphire, glass, silicon, or other materials.

Many temporary bonding methods have featured spin-on adhesive, which requires complex, expensive machines.

In 2003, Takatori began offering its WSM-series machines, providing a unique temporary bonding solution featuring double-sided tape. Unfortunately, the double-sided tapes available at that time were not capable of surviving high-temperature processes, and this limited the appeal of Takatori’s new machine.

Fortunately double-sided tapes have continued to evolve, and today both Nitto’s Revalpha and Sekisui’s Selfa tapes can survive higher temperatures while maintaining good adhesion and allowing for easy debonding.

Today, Takatori’s WSM-100 offers a cost-effective solution for temporary bonding. The machine uses a combination of atmospheric lamination and vacuum bonding, and works with many types of carrier wafers and different tapes. Today’s tapes are either heat-release or UV-release, and both types are supported by Takatori’s debonding/mounting tool, the WSM-200.

Call GTI Technologies today at +1 (203) 929-2200 or contact us via the web at gti-usa.com to find out how the WSM-series of machines can address your temporary bonding needs.

Diamond wire, originally developed for cutting hard, crystalline materials, offers a new solution for cutting core materials. The technology provides numerous advantages over traditional technologies including multi-axis machining centers and bandsaws. It is an effective tool for cutting a wide variety of materials quickly and efficiently.

Diamond wire technology:

1. Reduces Damage – Diamond wire cutting, while effective for even the hardest materials, is a relatively gentle process when compared to the more aggressive, traditional machining methods. Diamond wire uses a very fine abrasive on a thin wire, and even fast cuts can leave behind pristine edges and surfaces. Delicate feathered edges are possible, with honeycomb cells left completely intact even on the sharpest angles.

2. Minimizes Kerf Loss – Diamond wire is thin, (the current standard for cutting composites is only ~0.350mm in diameter,) – minimizing material loss. Customers get more parts out of a given quantity of core material with diamond wire cutting, lowering costs.

3. Offers speed – Despite the gentle cut and thin wire, diamond wire technology cuts materials at high speed, even in thick and dense cores. The use of a multi-axis industrial robot with the Takatori TWR-300 Robot Wire Saw opens the door to cutting complex shapes on a relatively inexpensive platform, saving time and money.

4. Generates Fewer Particles – Diamond wire cutting requires no coolant and only generates a small amount of fine dust.

While new to the composites industry, diamond wire technology has been used extensively in industrial applications for almost 20 years, making it a mature, reliable technology. Contact GTI to learn more about how diamond wire can help you with your application.

Diamond wire, originally adopted for mass production by the sapphire industry and then by the silicon industry, significantly increases the productivity of wire sawing and provides downstream benefits as well. It also offers an interesting option for cutting composite materials: demonstrating advantages when cutting both core materials and carbon fiber.

Diamond wire is made in a number of ways, but the most common way is by attaching fine diamond particles to steel wire through an electroplating process. Wire manufacturers provide the nominal diameter of the wire and the diamond abrasive, as well as the core diameter (the diameter of the wire itself) and the size of the abrasive particles. While the most commonly used wires don’t offer high diamond density, wire makers can fine tune the abrasive density and some offer particularly high-density diamond wire for special applications. Resin-bonded diamond wire is also available, though it is less common.

Advantages of Diamond Wire: Fast, Clean, Gentle

The first advantage of diamond wire is speed. Conventional slurry-based wire sawing can be slow when cutting very hard materials. Diamond wire offers substantial improvements in speed, increasing the productivity of each machine.

Next, diamond wire is clean. The coolant required for cutting is primarily water, with a small amount of surfactant added. This makes for easy set up, and also makes it easy to reclaim material lost during the cutting process.

Finally, while diamond wire is more aggressive than slurry for cutting crystalline materials, it is a relatively gentle process for cutting composites. It allows for very fine edges on core materials, less deformation of metallic core, and when cutting carbon fiber it offers lower damage, less delamination, and higher surface quality.

Contact GTI today to learn more about how diamond wire may help you with your applications.

This week Takatori conducted their annual distributor meeting a t their factory in Kashihara City, Japan. GTI was there along with distributors from across Asia to learn about Takatori’s latest innovations and to hear about markets all over the world.

In the multi-wire saw business Takatori presented the new MWS-620DD, a large capacity multi-wire saw built for high production slicing of hard materials. The machine features a longer work envelope, highly rigid construction, and host of other improvements. While originally designed for diamond wire cutting of sapphire ingots, the machine will soon be available for slurry slicing as well, opening the door to new possibilities.

The semiconductor division showed the latest in solutions for advanced packaging applications. As many companies move forward with WLCSP processes Takatori continues to show new machines to meet their demands. They remain the most flexible manufacturer of lamination, de-lamination, and mounting tools, willing to work closely with customers to create the best solution for their application.

Diamond wire has been used for many years by companies looking to cut very hard materials, particularly sapphire, into thin wafers. Producers needed a fast cutting method that minimized material loss and damage, and diamond wire delivered.

Takatori has taken decades of wire saw experience in hard materials and created a small, flexible wire saw designed to be mounted on an industrial robot to cut composite materials. This is a new cutting method for composites, and it offers certain advantages.

Reduced Damage

One of the greatest advantages of diamond wire is the reduction in damage. When cutting honeycomb materials, aggressive cutting methods can damage the workpiece. Delicate feathered edges can be difficult, particularly when cutting aluminum core. diamond wire can deliver uniquely low-impact cutting, delivering precise results even when cutting the most delicate parts. The reduced damage during cutting also reduces the need for hand-finishing, saving material and time.

When cutting carbon fiber, diamond wire cutting delivers a high quality cut while almost eliminating delamination, leaving behind a clean, straight cut without hanging fibers.

Diamond wire cutting can also be an effective solution for cutting sandwich panels, as it quickly cuts through both carbon fiber and various core materials.

Clean Cutting

Cutting with diamond wire saves time down stream not just by delivering high quality cuts, but also by being clean. Particle generation is minimal, and the minimum damage to the workpiece also means less particulate. Cutting is also usually done dry, without coolant, eliminating another potential source of problems.

Speed

Cutting composite materials with diamond wire has certain speed advantages. The machine can cut through various core materials quickly and efficiently, with the multi-axis robot providing a capable platform for making complex shapes. Some geometry can be cut much more efficiently than with competing technology.

When cutting thick carbon fiber some real advantages become apparent. In addition to the excellent cut quality, diamond wire is capable of cutting quickly through even very thick CF, and cutting prepreg is also possible.

Cost

Diamond wire is competitive with other cutting technologies, and the constant pressure from the sapphire and solar markets for higher quality at lower prices will continue the downward path of diamond wire pricing.

We look forward to working together with you to see how diamond wire cutting can help your composites application.

Click here for more info: https://gti-usa.com/product/robot-wire-saw/

The WSD-K2 and WSD-K3 deliver Takatori slicing quality and reliability for customers looking for smaller-scale slicing capability. Whether used for pilot production, material R&D, or process development, the K2 and K3 offer a powerful, flexible solution to customers not yet ready for a production-scale machine. It also finds use at production facilities for development purposes, cutting seed crystals, and other applications that would otherwise occupy a production machine.

Why choose this machine over the competition?

The WSD-K2 and K3 are first and foremost Takatori wire saws. Takatori has been building multi-wire saws for 30 years, and is the industry standard for numerous applications. While small, the K2/K3 still offers Takatori quality, both in build and output. A robust control system allows for detailed, multi-step programming of slicing parameters, and the available Y/Theta table allows for multi-cut programming for cutting longer pieces or for dicing applications. The K2/K3 can be operated in single wire or multi-sire modes, and can quickly be switched between the two. Use wire from any manufacturer, including very thin wire. The WSD-K2 and K3 are quiet, capable, and dependable.

Why choose a smaller wire saw over a larger wire saw?

Sometimes a small saw is all you need. With numerous materials the crystals are small, whether due to manufacturing constraints or demand, and a large wire saw is not feasible. For other companies that already have multi-wire saws, they may not want to sacrifice production time for small-scale development or cutting seed crystal, making a small wire saw a good investment.

What can it do?

The K2/K3 uses diamond wire to cut various materials, usually (but exclusively) monocrystalline materials for semiconductor, photonics, or optical applications. The WSD-K2 can cut materials up to 156mm in diameter, and the K3 up to 200mm in diameter, using diamond wire. The machine can operate with a single wire or multiple wires, depending on customer needs.

Click below for more information on how the WSD-K2 and WSD-K3 can help you.

WSD-K2