Ultra-Thin Polishing
Fused Silica, Glass, Aluminum Nitride, Alumina and Sapphire
Valley Design specializes in ultra-thin polishing of fused silica, glass, ceramics, aluminum nitride, alumina, and sapphire wafers down to thicknesses as low as 10 microns, offering precise surface finishes and custom sizes for high-performance applications in optics and microelectronics, with standard wafer thicknesses ranging from 10 to 150 microns depending on material and diameter.
Ultra-thin polishing is a precise manufacturing process used by Valley Design to produce extremely smooth, flat, and thin wafers of materials like fused silica, glass, ceramics, and sapphire, reaching thicknesses as low as 10 microns with strict surface finish tolerances. This process is ideal for high-performance applications in fields such as optics and microelectronics, with custom sizes and thicknesses available upon request.
The precision process used to create extremely smooth and flat surfaces on very thin glass substrates is called “ultra-thin glass polishing.” This process removes microscopic imperfections and achieves specific surface finishes with tolerances measured in angstroms or microns. It can be applied to various types of glass, including fused silica, borosilicate, soda lime, and aluminosilicate. Additionally, it is suitable for aluminum nitride, alumina, and sapphire.
The process aims to achieve very precise tolerances in thickness, flatness, and surface finish, often requiring specialized polishing and lapping methods. Fine abrasives or diamond grits are commonly used, often with specialized polish pads. Because ultra-thin materials are fragile, careful handling is essential, and support backing may be needed during processing.
Ultra-thin polishing is an essential process for creating high-performance, precise components vital to modern technology. Typical uses include smartphones, tablets, optical parts, sensors, and microelectronics.
Building on over 50 years of expertise in processing various materials to ultra-thin thicknesses, Valley Design has used this knowledge to push new boundaries in ultra-thin processing, polishing materials down to as thin as 10-15 microns. Materials that can be polished to these ultra-thin levels include Fused Silica and Fused Quartz. Glass, BK7, Alumina ceramics, and Silicon can be thinned and polished to 15-20 microns thick.
In 1cm geometries, Fused Silica can be thinned and polished to 10 microns thick, as well as silicon. Ultra-thin glass such as AF45, Borofloat, B270, D263, Eagle, and others can be polished to a thickness of 10-15 microns. Ultra-thin Aluminum Nitride can be provided at a thickness of 15-20 microns, and ultra-thin Alumina 96% and 99.6% Alumina can be made up to 20 microns thick.
Due to variations in internal stresses across different orientation planes of Sapphire, ultra-thin Sapphire is available as follows: Ultra-thin A-plane Sapphire at 25 microns, R-plane Sapphire at 50 microns, and C-plane Sapphire at 75 microns thick.
Additionally, Valley Design provides some of the thinnest wafers in the industry. For Fused Silica, glass, ceramics, and sapphire, ultra-thin wafers are available in a wide variety of standard thicknesses, including many in-stock from Valley Design:
- 10mm diameter x 10-15 microns thick
- 1” diameter x 25 microns thick
- 50.8mm diameter x 50 microns thick
- 75.6mm diameter x 60 microns thick
- 100mm diameter x 75 microns thick
- 125mm diameter x 85 microns thick
- 150mm diameter x 100 microns thick
- 200mm diameter x 125 microns thick
- 300mm diameter x 150 microns thick
Custom thicknesses are also available; please contact us to inquire.
Ultra-thin fused silica and glass wafers can be optically polished to as low as 10/5 scratch/dig, with an Ra of less than 5 Angstroms. Ultra-thin aluminum nitride and alumina are polished to less than 0.3 microns Ra. Ultra-thin sapphire is polished to less than 5 Angstroms Ra. At these thicknesses, ultra-thin wafers remain relatively easy to handle. These wafers can be further thinned to even thinner layers, but they must be adhered to a supportive backing plate. The end user is then responsible for dismounting and cleaning the ultra-thin wafer at their location. Valley Design also routinely thins and polishes customer-supplied wafers and dies to ultra-thin thicknesses.
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