Method of and an apparatus for slicing a single crystal ingot using an ID saw slicing machine therein

Claim 1

An improved method of using an ID saw slicing machine having a blade which is rotated at high speeds for slicing a single crystal ingot in a direction normal to the axis of the ingot to obtain wafers, the improvement comprising that the cutting load which the blade of the ID saw slicing machine imposes upon the single crystal ingot is continually detected in terms of three vector elements along three mutually perpendicular directions including said slicing direction throughout the slicing operation, and that, when the magnitude of that vector element of the cutting load which extends in the slicing direction exceeds a predetermined value, the feed rate of the ingot to the blade is decreased and, at the same time, the rotational speed of the blade is increased in accordance with a predetermined control pattern.

Claim 4

The method as claimed in any of claims 1, 2 and 3, further characterized by that each time a predetermined number of wafers have been sliced off the single crystal ingot, the magnitude of the sum of the three vector elements of the cutting load imposed on the single crystal ingot is calculated, and, when this magnitude exceeds a predetermined value, an automatic dressing operation is applied to that portion of the grinder edge which is pointed in the direction opposite to the direction of the wobble displacement, for a time period determined responsive to the magnitude of the cutting load value.

Claim 5

An apparatus for slicing a single crystal ingot having an ID saw slicing machine for slicing the single crystal ingot in a direction normal to the axis of the ingot, a drive means for rotating the blade of the ID saw slicing machine at a constant speed, a means for measuring the wobble displacement of the blade of the ID saw slicing machine, a dressing means for dressing the grinder edge of the ID saw slicing machine, and a shift means for shifting either the body consisting of the ID saw slicing machine and the drive means or the single crystal ingot in a manner such that the ingot is caused to be sliced in the direction normal to its axis, said apparatus being characterized by further comprising a piezoelectric load detector for detecting the cutting load the single crystal ingot receives in terms of three vector elements along three mutually perpendicular directions including said slicing direction, and a control means for controlling the shift means and drive means, respectively, in a manner such that, when the magnitude of that vector element of the cutting load which extends in the slicing direction exceeds a predetermined value, the feed rate of the ingot to the blade is decreased and, at the same time, the rotational speed of the blade is increased in accordance with a predetermined control pattern.

Claim 8

The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5, 6 and 7, characterized by that said controller further controls said dressing means in a manner such that, each time a predetermined number of wafers have been sliced off the single crystal ingot, said controller calculates the magnitude of the sum of the three vector elements of the cutting load imposed on the single crystal ingot, and, when this magnitude exceeds a predetermined value, said dressing means is caused to apply an automatic dressing to that portion of the grinder edge which is pointed in the direction opposite to the direction of the wobble displacement detected by said wobble displacement measuring means for a time period determined responsive to the magnitude of the cutting load value.