Did You Know How Silicon Wafers Are Manufactured?

The silicon wafers reflect and serve an extraordinary revolution in both physical science, data processing, and storage. As recently as 1980, Nobody had the idea that computers would ever impact their personal lives.
Today, Silicon Wafers used in different kinds of digital devices, such as your everyday computers, laptops, smartphones, and televisions.

Silicon has the second most abundant element in the world and seventh in the universe. Such a part is versatile and flexible in terms of availability and a keen source of material used in many forms of technology and everyday materials.

Let’s take a look at how silicon wafer has manufactured.

I)Wafer Production

Growth of Crystal and Wafer Slicing Process :

The first step and most step in the wafer manufacturing process is the formation of a perfect silicon crystal. The crystal is grown from a ‘seed crystal’ that is an ideal crystal. The silicon supplied in granular powder form, then melted in a crucible. Further, the seed is immersed carefully into the cauldron of molten silicon and carefully withdrawn.

1)Obtaining the Sand

The sand used to grow the wafers has to be an immaculate and excellent form of silicon.

2)Preparing the Molten Silicon Bath

The sand (SiO2) taken and put into a crucible and heated to about 1600 degrees C, just above its melting point. After that, the molten sand will become the source of the silicon that will be the wafer.

3)Making the Ingot

A pure silicon seed crystal now placed into the molten sand bath. Slowly the crystal will pullout during rotation. The most famous technique used in the manufacturing of silicon wafer is the Czochralski (CZ) method. More than 75% of all silicon wafers grow via the Czochralski (CZ) method. Thus, the result is a pure silicon cylinder that is called an ingot.

4)Preparing the Wafers / Slicing

After the ingot ground into the correct diameter for the wafers, the silicon ingot sliced into very thin wafers by using a diamond saw. And go through the polishing until they are very smooth and just the right thickness for increasing the productivity in the next process step, lapping.

5)Lapping & Etching :

After the wafer has sliced, it gets lapped. The lapping process removes saw marks and surface defects from the wafer during the slicing process. It also thins the wafers out. Further, Wafers are then etched in a chemically active reagent to remove any crystal damage, which remains in the previous step after that flatness has been checked by measuring silicon wafers.

6)Polishing : 

It is a chemical/mechanical process that smoothes the uneven surface and makes the wafer smooth and flat with the support of optical photolithography. The process occurs in a clean room where the workers wear cleanroom suits that cover their entire bodies. 

7)Final Dimensional

The wafers undergo a final test performed to demonstrate conformance with customer specifications for flatness, thickness, resistivity, and type.

II)Wafer Fabrication

Fabrication of the wafer is the most crucial step in the manufacturing process. This is where the integrated circuit formed in and on the wafer. The fabrication process, which takes place in a clean room, involves a series of steps, and the process can take anywhere from 10 to 30 days to complete.

The Following steps found in the fabrication process

1)Thermal Oxidation or Deposition
2)Masking
3)Etching
4)Doping
5)Dielectric Deposition and Metallization
6)Passivation
7)Electrical Test
8)Assembly

Contact Us For More Details

Contact Tier1silicon.com or call at 408.963.6608 to order a wide range of silicon products. We offer a wide variety of quality wafers at affordable prices for both large and small users of silicon products.! Contact us today and get your quote!