Fabrication of PCD mechanical planarization tools by using μ-wire electrical discharge machining

Fabrication of micro components made from difficult-to-cut materials require the use of micro cutting tools which can withstand the harsh conditions during machining. Polycrystalline diamond micro tools, produced using micro wire electro discharge machining, have been used to machine silicon. In this study, fabrication of PCD planarization tools having micro-pyramid lattice structure is considered. A tungsten wire with 30 μm diameter was used, which makes it possible to obtain very precise micro-features by employing extremely low discharge energies. The performance of the tools is investigated through micro scale grinding of silicon and appropriate machining parameters which resulted in ductile regime machining of silicon are determined.