Semiconductor wafer hubbed saw blade and process for manufacture of

Abstract

In a plating process for constructing a nickel/embedded abrading particle saw blade on a saw blade substrate, the step of plating abrading particles onto and within the supporting copper substrate is disclosed. The beveled edge of a circular aluminum saw blade blank is first coated with a thin zinc layer. Thereafter, copper and abrading particles are plated followed by conventional abrading particle and nickel plating. Conventional material removal thereafter follows at the saw blade side adjacent the circular saw blade blank, saw blade edge, and copper layer. With removal of the copper layer, abrading particles originally partially embedded in the copper layer are exposed for cutting. The need for electro-polishing and garnating is eliminated in so far as exposure of abrading particles is concerned. The final saw blade product produced has uniform cutting edges on both sides with less likelihood of producing edge fractures, chips, or cracks in silicon wafers during separation. Improvements in the overall processing of the chip are disclosed including the use of circular electrodes, a reshaped plating basket having a conical bottom, a band of central perforations, and the use of a weak cobalt/nickel alloy to bind abrading particles to nickel of sufficient hardness.