Precision Grinding for the Semiconductor Industry

From smartphones to satellites, semiconductors power modern life. But behind every microchip are precision equipment, advanced materials, and skilled technicians that make high-volume chip production possible.

For machining shops that support the semiconductor industry, quality is non-negotiable. These manufacturers play a key role in producing wafer chucks, dicing tool components, and structural parts that keep chip production running at scale. These components must hold tight tolerances and perform in high-heat, high-vacuum, and chemically aggressive environments.

At Continental Diamond Tool (CDT), our role is simple: support the grinding operations that keep this work moving. We manufacture superabrasive grinding wheels that hold spec, reduce downtime, and deliver consistent quality.

Pandemic Pressures on Semiconductor Production

The global chip shortage that began in 2020 wasn’t just a blip—it was a wake-up call. When demand for electronics surged and supply chains fell behind, everything from automotive production to medical device manufacturing slowed down.

What caused it?

• Demand for electronics and cloud infrastructure spiked

• Fabs, packaging plants, and ports were shut down

• Capacity for advanced chips was limited and concentrated in a few regions

• Some sectors canceled orders early and were left scrambling when demand came back

This perfect storm exposed just how fragile the semiconductor supply chain had become.

Semiconductors, Five Years Later: What’s Changed?

Since then, major investments have poured into rebuilding and expanding semiconductor capacity:

• The CHIPS and Science Act is supporting new fabs in the United States, including Ohio, Arizona, and New York

• Foundries like TSMC and Samsung are expanding beyond Asia to reduce geopolitical risk

• Automakers have jumped into chip development and procurement to secure their own supply

Meanwhile, demand keeps rising—especially with the growth of AI and cloud computing. AI workloads from machine learning, real-time analytics, and generative models require advanced chips, high-bandwidth memory, and complex packaging. That demand has cascaded across industries—from data centers and robotics to autonomous vehicles and healthcare.

Meeting that demand isn’t just about making more chips. It also means meeting tighter tolerances, ensuring reliability, and reducing variation across the supply chain. While new fabs are coming online, other parts of the process—like grinding and machining—are just as critical.

Grinding shops produce the wafers, tooling, and support components that make high-performance chipmaking possible. At CDT, we manufacture grinding wheels that are built for the job.

Precision Grinding: The Quiet Backbone of Semiconductor Manufacturing

Semiconductor fabs require tools made from tough materials like tool steels, ceramics, carbides, and coated alloys. Materials are selected for their strength, stability, and ability to handle heat and wear, but that also makes them challenging to machine.

Our customers specialize in grinding tight-tolerance components using surface, OD, and ID grinding. In the semiconductor industry, this often means working at the micro level—holding tolerances within ±0.0001” and achieving mirror-like finishes with no room for error. We support this detailed work with custom-engineered wheels that are:

• Built for consistency – holding form over long production runs

• Aggressive yet cool-cutting – to reduce heat distortion and burn

• Tailored to the material – with bond and grit combinations suited for everything from hardened steels to fragile ceramics

Tackling Tough Materials with Superabrasive Precision

Semiconductor manufacturing is performed in clean rooms under extreme conditions with high heat, vacuum environments, reactive chemicals, and intense electric fields. Tools like etchers, deposition systems, and ion implanters must operate with micron-level accuracy that stays stable under pressure.

That’s why these tools are made of materials that offer:

• Thermal stability to handle high processing temperatures

• Mechanical strength to hold shape

• Chemical resistance to survive plasma and gas exposure

For this work, grinding wheels must be capable of shaping and controlling difficult materials like plasma-resistant ceramics, hardened tool steels, and carbide-based coatings. On top of that, shops regularly face new materials engineered to improve thermal performance, erosion resistance, and particle control.

To machine these materials effectively, you need grinding tools that stay sharp, cut clean, and hold spec. Conventional abrasives can load up, overheat, and require constant dressing in these conditions, making them ill-suited for the task. On the other hand, CDT’s diamond and CBN wheels — made with resin, vitrified, hybrid, or metal bonds — are designed to handle these jobs with ease.

And what if a customer is working with a material that’s unfamiliar? That’s when we turn to the CDT grinding lab.

Custom Superabrasive Solutions Tested In-House

CDT’s in-house grinding lab is built to help customers test materials and validate wheel performance. Whether you’re running a new material or facing a recurring problem, we can help develop the right solution.

If you’re dealing with edge burn, profile loss, or surface finish issues on brittle materials, we’ll work with you to sort it out. We regularly work with advanced ceramics, silicon carbide, coated tool steels, and other materials that are now standard in semiconductor production. We use custom wheels and a controlled testing environment with the goal to help you dial in your process faster and avoid tying up valuable time and equipment on the shop floor.

Precision That Powers Progress

From wafer chuck carriers to dicing tool components, precision grinding shops keep semiconductor chip production running at scale. It’s not the work that happens inside the cleanroom—but it’s every bit as important.

At CDT, we know what’s at stake. As the industry moves toward thinner wafers, harder materials, and tighter specs, we’re here to help grinding teams produce parts that are  consistent, efficient, and competitive. Our wheels are built for performance, long life, and lower cost per part.

Ready to Tackle Your Toughest Grinding Challenge?

From plasma-resistant ceramics to hard-coated steels, we know how tough these materials can be. We work directly with grinding shops to develop the right tool for the job.

Whether you’re qualifying a new material, scaling a high-volume part, or solving a surface finish issue, CDT delivers custom-engineered grinding solutions that help you move forward. Our in-house lab takes the guesswork out of testing and speeds up production.

Reach out to see how CDT can help with your next grinding challenge.