What is silicon oxide wafer?
Silicon oxide wafers, also known as silicon dioxide wafers, are an integral component in the semiconductor industry and a variety of technological applications. Their unique properties make them essential for a wide range of uses, from microelectronics to optics. This article takes an in-depth look at the applications of silicon oxide wafers, highlighting their importance in modern technology.
Oxidized silicon wafers are made by using thermal oxidation technology, through atmospheric pressure furnace tube equipment under high temperature (800℃~1150℃), through oxygen or water vapor to grow silicon dioxide thin films on the surface of silicon wafers. The thickness ranges from 50 nanometers to 2 microns, the process temperature is as high as 1100 degrees Celsius, and the growth methods are divided into "wet oxygen" and "dry oxygen". The thermal oxide layer is a "grown" oxide layer. Compared with the oxide layer deposited by CVD, it has higher uniformity, better density and higher dielectric strength, and its quality is better.
1. Dry oxygen oxidation
Silicon reacts with oxygen, and the oxide layer continues to move toward the substrate. Dry oxidation needs to be performed at a temperature of 850 to 1200°C, with a low growth rate, and can be used for MOS insulating gate growth. In cases where high-quality, ultra-thin silicon oxide layers are required, dry oxidation is a preferred option over wet oxidation. Dry oxidation capacity: 15nm~300nm.
2. Wet oxygen oxidation
This method uses water vapor to enter the furnace tube under high temperature conditions to form an oxide layer. The density of wet oxygen oxidation is slightly worse than that of dry oxygen oxidation, but compared with dry oxygen oxidation, its advantage is that it has a higher growth rate and is suitable for the growth of thin films above 500nm. Wet oxidation capacity: 500nm~2µm.
What is the use of silicon oxide wafers?
1. Semiconductor Manufacturing
-Device protection and isolation: Oxide silicon wafers can effectively protect silicon wafers from scratches and damage during the manufacturing process due to their high hardness and good density.
-Gate oxide dielectric: Silicon oxide wafers have high dielectric strength and resistivity, good stability, and are often used in gate oxide structures in MOS technology.
- Doping barrier: Silicon oxide wafers can be used as mask barrier layers in diffusion, ion implantation, and etching processes.
- Pad oxide layer: used to reduce the stress between silicon nitride and silicon.
-Implantation buffer layer: used to reduce ion implantation damage and channeling effect.
-Interlayer dielectric: used for insulation between conductive metal layers, produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method.
2. Optoelectronics and optical communications
-Fiber-optic communication devices: The application of silicon oxide wafers in fiber-optic communication devices improves the efficiency and security of communication.
-Laser: The application of silicon oxide wafers in lasers enhances the performance of lasers.
3. Biomedicine
-Microfluidic devices: The application of silicon oxide wafers in microfluidic devices provides convenience for biomedical research and clinical diagnosis.
-BioMEMS: The application of silicon oxide wafers in bioMEMS has promoted the development of biological sciences.
-Biochip: The application of silicon oxide wafers in biochips improves the accuracy of biological analysis.
4. Vacuum technology field
The silicon oxide wafer is uniform and dense, with good film quality, smooth and flawless surface, good flatness and small warping, and is suitable for various vacuum technology requirements.
Silicon oxide wafers are essential in a variety of technological applications, particularly in microelectronics, photovoltaics and optics. Their unique properties drive advances in these fields, helping to develop smaller, more efficient devices and renewable energy solutions. As technology continues to advance, the role of silicon oxide wafers will undoubtedly expand, solidifying their importance in future innovations.