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SPI Supplies® Brand Diamond Scribes

Select from a growing family of fine diamond tipped scribing instruments


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Diamond Scribes from SPI Supplies
Diamond Scribes from SPI Supplies
Retractable Pen Style

Diamond Scribes from SPI Supplies
Pencil Style

Introduction to diamond scribes:

Diamond is the hardest material known to mankind and since nothing is harder, when coming in contact with some other surface, it is always that some other surface that gets abraded away first and the diamond, relatively speaking, remains unworn. Hence diamond is the material of choice for use in scribing instruments, and therefore the name "diamond scribe".

Only natural diamonds are used in the production of the SPI Supplies brand of diamond scribes. Each diamond is cut and shaped to the desired profile and then polished (with fine diamond paste) to a mirror finish. The exact hardness of the diamond is anisotropic, meaning that from a crystallographic standpoint, the hardness varies by unit call dimensions. Then the effective hardness of a particular diamond scribe depends on the crystallographic relationship of the diamond relative to the writing direction and each crystal therefore must be set with plane associated with the highest hardness in the "right" direction". Hence great care must be taken to ensure that the correct orientation is in fact the one used for the writing tip. If one did not pay attention to the orientation (and lower cost makers of diamond scribing tools often times don't track the orientation) there would be a distribution of hardness from tool to tool, some having the harder faces and some having the softer faces. This could result in a substantial population of a new batch of diamond scribes have a much shorter useful lifetime. When the SPI Supplies diamond scribes are manufactured, great care is taken to ensure that the right orientation of the diamond is used in order to ensure the longest possible lifetime.

Another important consideration is the degree of polish given to the diamond. The diamond on the SPI diamond scribes are polished to a mirror finish and this what is imperative for the perfect scribing tool. Some lower cost scribing tools are just rough diamonds and are not polished at all, which results in higher friction and far less smooth scribed lines which in some cases,results in less even breaking of silicon, glass, quartz or other substrate materials. An unpolished diamond also results in more particulates being generated with an average larger size.

Diamonds are not always forever:

Like with all fine diamond tools, the diamond found in the SPI Supplies Brand family of diamond scribes will eventually wear out. Continued scribing with a worn out diamond results in uneven scribe lines and the generation of more and larger debris particles, both of which are quite undesirable characteristics.

How to determine when the diamond tool is worn out and should be replaced:

Like with a new set of automobile tires, one can not predict the useful lifetime of a diamond scribe since this will be determined by frequency of use, composition (actually hardness) of the substrate being scribed, and other factors, such as the bending stress placed on the diamond itself. And since the wear is so gradual, and again like an automobile tire, it is not always obvious, without close inspection, when it is indeed time to replace the scribing tool with a new one.

We recommend the regular inspection of the diamond with some type of convenient to use inspection tool such as one of our pocket magnifiers. It does not matter which one is used, but the important thing is to be able to image the diamond. If when using the scribe, the scribe line loses "sharpness" relative to when it was new, starting all over again with a new scribe will probably bring back the original sharpness to the scribed line. We always recommend keeping hand an exemplar scribed substrate made with a brand new scribe. Hence when trying to make the decision about replacement, compare the present result with the result obtained with a new scribe. The cross-sectional view of the scribed "line" should have a shape resembling a "V". An old and worn out diamond will exhibit a cross-sectional profile more like a "U". Since more force/pressure is always required with a worn out diamond and the excess particulates that are generated are pushed up along the sides of the groove. In the case of a silicon wafer, and other single crystal substrates, this added pressure can create dislocations and create other forms of damage. There is also the possibility that research results quality will be enhanced when always scribing with a "good" diamond.

Included angle:

Our various diamond scribes are described in terms of their "included angle". The tip of the diamond is a cone, and the included angle is the angle of the tip of the cone. For many years, we offered only a 90° included angle. 90° is a compromise between scribing a finer line with a smaller included angle and longer tip life with a larger included angle. A smaller included angle also allows one to locate the scribed line more precisely, which is particularly important in certain types of failure analysis work.

Basic styles of scribes:

We offer basically two different types: A) "Retractable pen" and B) "Pencil". There is a preference for the retractable pen style since it can be carried in a shirt pocket much like a ball point pen. It is always with you when needed. And since the element containing the diamond can be removed, inexpensive "refills" are also available.

But the ability to make a somewhat more precise line is possible with the "pencil" style. And with the pencil style, it is also possible to create angled styles for catering to the different preferences of different people. With the retractable pen style, one can only offer straight style designs.

Available scribe styles:

Retractable Pen Retractable Pen

Pencil Pencil

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Wednesday December 03, 2008
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