Application of Microwave Drilling to Electronic Ceramics Machining

Ceramic materials are important in electronic industry. A number of ceramics are used in micro-electronic packaging and substrate manufacturing. However, hardness and brittleness of ceramics cause many difficulties in their machining. In this paper, a novel method is introduced for ceramic machining which uses the microwave energy. The method is based on the phenomenon of local hot spot produced by near-field microwave radiation. It is cheaper and more effective to the process of ceramics, and has advantages in improving process quality. The paper offers a model of microwave-drilling on a slice of ceramics and investigates the effect area of microwave. Parametric study is conducted and documented based on the proposed drilling model. In addition, a comparison is presented between the proposed microwave method and other methods, with the focus on the holes drilling of ceramics. Finally the paper discusses the prospect and issues of microwave-drilling in actual applications to micro-electronics industry