In this article, we provide a perspective overview of the iconic properties, recent application-oriented research, and future commercialization opportunities of thin film metallic glasses (TFMGs). A brief review on the preparation and fundamental properties of TFMGs will be given first. TFMGs possess attractive properties such as corrosion resistance, extremely low roughness, and antibacterial characteristics, which give rise to various applications in biomedical devices, sensors, and tribology. Therefore, a number of our representative works will be reviewed to showcase the benefits of TFMGs over traditional materials and processing in these applications. In addition, new perspectives in the research and development of TFMGs and opportunities for commercialization will also be highlighted.

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This is the first report on the coating of diamond dicing blades with metallic glass (MG) coating to reduce chipping when used to cut Si, SiC, sapphire, and patterned sapphire substrates (PSS). The low coefficient-of-friction (CoF) of Zr-based MG-coated dicing blades was shown to reduce the number and size of chips, regardless of the target substrate. Overall, SiC, sapphire and PSS were most affected by chipping, due to the fact that higher cutting forces were needed for the higher hardness of SiC, sapphire and PSS. Compared to the bare blade, the MG coating provided the following reductions in chipping area: Si (~ 23%), SiC (~ 36%), sapphire (~ 45%), and PSS (~ 33%). The proposed coating proved particularly effective in reducing chips of larger size (> 41 µm in chipping width), as indicated by an ~ 80% reduction when cutting sapphire. Small variations in kerf angle and depth demonstrate the durability of the coated blades, which would no doubt enhance consistency in dicing performance and extend the blade lifespan. Finite-element modeling revealed significant reductions in tensile stress and elastic-plastic deformation during dicing, thanks to a lower CoF. Diamond abrasive blades are widely used to cut silicon, SiC, and sapphire dies in the manufacture of semiconductors and optoelectronic devices 1-3. The brittleness of these hard workpieces inevitably leads to chipping and/ or other types of damage, which might also give rise to failure in dies and chips, eventually causes yield loss 4-6. Space between dies, called streets is usually spared to accommodate chipping on both sides of the dicing kerf. Yet this approach reduces the number of die per wafer and thus is a waste of very expensive substrate material. Researchers have sought to improve cutting quality by adjusting the concentration and size of diamond grit 7,8 as well as the bonding material 7,9. Note also that it is essential to minimize the number and size of chips due to the fact that even undetectable chipping provides sites for potential failure under the application of a strong electrical field. Controlling the factors that lead to chipping also has benefits for the environment, by reducing the amount of water required for cooling and decreasing the amount of waste debris. This is the first report on coating diamond dicing blades with thin film metallic glass (TFMG) to reduce chipping when used to cut Si, SiC, sapphire, and patterned sapphire substrates (PSS). We focused on these workpieces due to their wide-scale use in semiconductors and light-emitting diodes. This is the first application of a coating on diamond dicing blades to enhance dicing performance. The thin film metallic glass (TFMG) coating in this study has a low coefficient of friction (CoF) and notable glass transition and crystallization characteristics 10,11. Multicomponent amorphous metallic films are an attractive alternative to conventional alloys, thanks to their smooth surface, high hardness, and high ductility as well as low-temperature processing (e.g., sputter deposition). T...

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