EDM Service
Titanium Grade 2 Small Hole EDM Drilling Surface Integrity Review for Semiconductor Tooling
For Semiconductor Tooling, Small Hole EDM can produce the required conductive features in Titanium Grade 2, but a low Ra value does not approve the surface by itself. Recast, micro-cracks, edge damage, corrosion or fatigue risk, and post-processing must be released as separate requirements.
Quick Answer
For Small Hole EDM on Titanium Grade 2 in Semiconductor Tooling, approve the functional surface in separate steps. First verify geometry and roughness. Then verify recast or crack acceptance, edge condition, and any corrosion, fatigue, or post-process requirement that the application actually needs.
Key Surface Decisions
Why Surface Integrity Matters Here
The highest application risk is particle generation, edge damage or pitch accumulation across repeated micro features. A defect on that functional face can shorten service life, compromise the application requirement, or force rejection even when the overall dimensions are correct.
How to Specify Surface Requirements
Define surface acceptance for Semiconductor Tooling by separating roughness, recast, cracks, edge condition, and post-processing. For the Small Hole EDM feature in Titanium Grade 2, identify flatness, edge condition, micro features, material control, state the exact material condition, and assign an inspection method to each accepted item.
What Gets Missed
The most common acceptance error is releasing the Semiconductor Tooling part from roughness or size alone while recast, edge damage, or sub-surface cracking remains on the named functional face. For Titanium Grade 2, a dimensionally correct feature can still be rejected for recast, contamination, or fatigue-sensitive edge damage. In Small Hole EDM, the hole can wander, taper, break out poorly, or carry an unacceptable wall condition when depth, flushing, or support is underestimated.
Why the Process Affects the Surface
A rotating tubular electrode feeds toward the workpiece while dielectric is pumped through its center. Repeated discharges open the hole and the internal flow removes debris; electrode runout, path depth, rotation, flushing, and breakthrough support control straightness and wall condition. For Small Hole EDM on Titanium Grade 2 in Semiconductor Tooling, the release plan must connect the named functional face to flatness, edge condition, micro features, material control.
Small Hole EDM Capability Reference
| What you're asking | What you can expect |
|---|---|
| Feature types | small through holes, deep holes, angled holes, cooling holes, vent holes, and start holes in hard or heat-resistant alloys |
| Tolerance | ±0.010–0.050 mm |
| Surface finish | Hole-wall finish is feature-dependent |
| Typical diameter | About 0.3–3.0 mm for ordinary planning |
| Depth driver | Depth-to-diameter ratio, straightness, and breakthrough |
| Main limitation | Very small diameter combined with extreme depth may require specialized equipment, staged electrodes, and dedicated metrology. |
Semiconductor Tooling Surface Planning
| What matters | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Typical parts | probe-card tooling, wafer-handling fixtures, lead-frame inserts, and precision alignment plates |
| Functional requirement | fine pitch, low particle risk, repeatable alignment and controlled contact or wafer-handling surfaces |
| Main failure risk | particle generation, edge damage or pitch accumulation across repeated micro features |
| Inspection focus | flatness, edge condition, micro features, material control |
Material Condition Reference
| Condition | What to expect | Watch out for | Surface notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| annealed | Use stable support and low-energy finishing. | Thermal surface effects can reduce fatigue resistance. | Specify recast and edge condition on fatigue and medical faces. |
| stress-relieved | Plan around stress relief and thin-wall movement. | Residual stress can distort delicate profiles. | Use trim passes and controlled post-processing on critical faces. |
Application and Material Context
Titanium Grade 2 is a commercially pure titanium grade with lower strength and higher ductility than alpha-beta Grade 5. In Small Hole EDM for Semiconductor Tooling, limit aggressive energy on fatigue faces, control recast or contamination, and keep post-process cleanliness explicit. The material condition affects the acceptance route, but it is not itself a substitute for application-specific surface criteria.
Functional Surface-Integrity Requirements
For Small Hole EDM on Titanium Grade 2 in Semiconductor Tooling, use separate acceptance statements: roughness for texture, recast for the resolidified layer, crack inspection where fatigue or brittleness matters, edge inspection for rollover or chipping, and corrosion or post-process verification where service requires it. Evaluate flatness, edge condition, micro features, material control from the correct datum.
Semiconductor Tooling Surface Checkpoints
- State the exact Titanium Grade 2 condition and identify the Small Hole EDM features.
- Mark the functional faces and specify roughness, recast, edge, corrosion, fatigue, passivation, or post-process limits separately.
- Define how flatness, edge condition, micro features, and material control will be inspected before batch release.
Limits and Better Alternatives
Main Limit
A low Ra value cannot by itself approve the Titanium Grade 2 Small Hole EDM surface for Semiconductor Tooling.
Consider Another Route When
Use mechanical drilling for accessible easy-cutting material, laser drilling for suitable thin high-volume parts, or Micro EDM for smaller precision features.
Practical Next Step
Send the Semiconductor Tooling drawing with the Titanium Grade 2 condition, Small Hole EDM features, functional faces, roughness target, recast or edge limits, quantity, and the method used to inspect flatness, edge condition, micro features, material control.
Practical Takeaway
For Semiconductor Tooling in Titanium Grade 2, Ra is only one part of Small Hole EDM surface approval. Release the affected layer, material risk, post-process, and functional inspection separately.
Additional Project Information
Include application, destination and end-use notes together with the material, quantity and drawing requirements.
Project Details for Technical Review
Include application and end-use notes when they affect material, inspection, documentation, or export review.
- Process: Small Hole EDM
- Material: Titanium Grade 2
- Application: Semiconductor Tooling
- Drawing or part sketch
- Material grade
- Thickness / part size
- Quantity
- Tolerance and critical dimensions
- Surface finish or inspection requirement
STEP/STP, DXF, DWG, PDF, IGS/IGES or ZIP.
Confidential drawing review. NDA support available on request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a low Ra value enough to approve this Small Hole EDM surface?
No. Roughness, recast, edge damage, corrosion or fatigue risk, and post-processing are separate acceptance items. On Titanium Grade 2, the supplied condition and functional faces must also be identified before finish energy is selected.
Why use Small Hole EDM for Semiconductor Tooling in Titanium Grade 2?
Use it when the feature is a small, deep, angled, cooling, vent, or start hole in conductive material and the process supports fine pitch, low particle risk, repeatable alignment and controlled contact or wafer-handling surfaces. The route is selected from the feature, not from the industry or material name alone.
How does the condition of Titanium Grade 2 affect surface planning?
The condition changes dimensional stability, recast behavior, residual stress, corrosion or fatigue response, and post-process needs. Thin sections can move and corrosion or medical surfaces need selective recast removal and cleanliness.
What should be inspected after machining?
Inspect roughness, recast, micro-cracks, edge condition, corrosion or fatigue risk, post-processing, flatness, micro features, and material control separately on the functional faces. Add passivation or batch-repeatability checks where the drawing requires them.