How Do I Choose a Silicon Wafer?
There are several factors to consider when choosing a silicon wafer, including the following:
Diameter: Silicon wafers are available in a range of diameters, from 25 mm to 300 mm. The larger the diameter, the more expensive the wafer.
Thickness: Silicon wafers are also available in a range of thicknesses, from less than 0.5 mm to over 1 mm. Thicker wafers are generally more robust and resistant to damage but may be more challenging to process.
Dopant type and concentration: Silicon wafers can be doped with various impurities, such as phosphorus or boron, to create p-type or n-type semiconductor material. The dopant concentration can also vary, affecting the wafer's electrical properties.
Surface finish: Silicon wafers can have different surface finishes, such as polished or epitaxial. The type of finish can affect the ease of processing and the quality of the resulting device.
Resistivity: Silicon wafer's electrical resistivity is crucial as it will affect the performance.
Certificate of Analysis: Ensures that the silicon wafer meets the required specifications and is of high quality. A Certificate of Analysis (CoA) from the manufacturer can provide information on the wafer's specifications and purity.
Cost: Silicon wafer pricing will depend on the diameter, thickness, and other factors, as well as the quantity purchased. It is crucial for the budget-strapped researcher to balance the cost with the required performance and quality of the wafer.
Recent Silicon Wafer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. What is surface flatness of silicon wafer?
A. We have Ultra-Flat Silicon with the following spec
Prime Silicon Wafers
100mm P-type /Boron doped <1-0-0> 490-510 micron 0.005-.020 ohm-cm Semi Std Double Side Polished
Total Thickness Variation (TTV)<1 um. These are great for making SOI or MEMS!
Q. What is the roughness value (rms) silicon wafer?
A. The majority of our Prime Grade wafers have a roughness value Ra<5Å .
Q. What is the definition of silicon wafers?
A. A Si wafer, or substrate, or silicon is grown in a tube from a seed into a long ingot that is then sliced into various thicknesses used in electronics for the fabrication of integrated circuits and in photovoltaics. The wafer serves as the substrate for microelectronic devices built in and over the wafer and undergoes many microfabrication process steps such as doping or ion implantation, etching, deposition of various materials, and photolithographic patterning. Finally the individual microcircuits are separated (dicing) and packaged.
Q. Do you sell platinised silicon wafers?
A. Yes! We sell Platinised silicon wafers and thin films of almost all the metals! Just let us know the specs and quantity for an immediate quote!
Q. Do you sell one silicon wafer? If so, how?
A. Yes! We sell as few as one Silicon wafer. We sell in individual wafer copyright.
Q. How do you clean Si 100 wafer before silicon dioxide is formed for bump production?
A. The RCA clean is a standard set of wafer cleaning steps which need to be performed before high-temperature processing steps (oxidation, diffusion, CVD) of silicon wafers in semiconductor manufacturing.
Werner Kern developed the basic procedure in 1965 while working for RCA, the Radio Corporation of America.[1][2][3] It involves the following chemical processes performed in sequence:
Removal of the organic contaminants (organic clean + particle clean)
Removal of thin oxide layer (oxide strip, optional)
Removal of ionic contamination (ionic clean)
Q. Can you resize silicon wafers from 200mm to 100mm?
A. Yes! We can laser down the wafer so you could get two 100mm from one 200mm wafers including flats!
Q. What is silicon wafer reclaim?
A. It's when you have a wafer that has thin films or oxide etc on them and we strip and clean them so the wafers can be reused.
Often companies that want to save money or protect their intellectual property will reclaim their wafers.
What silicon wafer thickness Range Do I Need?
All Silicon wafer thicknesses have a range. Some wafer specs have a tighter range than others and are considered flatter than standard range silicon wafers. Let us know what your research is and we'll quote you the correct wafer thickness.