Experimental study of surface generation and force modeling in micro-grinding of single crystal silicon considering crystallographic effects

• We build a predicting model of micro-grinding force considering crystallographic effects.
• We divide micro-grinding process of single crystal silicon into two steps by lattice constant.
• Two micro-grinding experiments with different cutting depths and feed rates are conducted.
• Empirical formula of lc in single silicon crystal micro-grinding is derived.
• Ductile-regime transitions in micro-grinding process of single crystal silicon are revealed.

In this study, surface formation mechanism in micro-grinding of single crystal silicon is investigated based on analysis of undeformed chip thickness hm. A predicting model of grinding force considering crystallographic effects in micro-grinding of single crystal silicon is built. In this model, micro-grinding process of single crystal silicon is divided into two steps by one line on which hm of single grit equals to lattice constant. Two micro-grinding experiments with different ranges of cutting depths and feed rates have been designed and conducted on single crystal silicon to verify the model this paper proposes. The relationship between micro-grinding parameters and crack length lc is investigated and the empirical formula of lc is derived based on analysis of experiment results. Ductile-regime transitions in micro-grinding process of single crystal silicon have been revealed, 20 nm and 100 nm are turned out to be two critical conditions based on analysis of experiment results. It is found that the grinding force has a sudden change when micro-grinding process comes within material's crystal boundary in experiment. The force predicting model this paper proposes has well explained this phenomenon in micro-grinding of single cyrstal silicon. When micro-grinding undeformed chip thickness hm belows 0.5 nm, micro grinding force doesn't decrease with the decrease of cutting parameters but has a rising tendency, and these experimental measurements also provide a support to the result of model this paper proposes.