A Si wafer can be used in many electronic devices and other applications such as microelectronic devices, solar cells, artificial intelligence, microchips, robotics, optoelectronic components, MEMS, and more. But for a Si wafer to be suitable for such applications, it needs to be defect-free and contaminant-free. That's why Si wafer manufacturing involves several processes that aim to get rid of surface and subsurface damages on a wafer. In this article, we will discuss the different measures taken to prevent contamination and damage in Si wafers.
The presence of contaminants on a Si wafer, such as molecular compounds, ionic materials, and atomic species, can lead to the development of defects, which results in poor performance. That’s why detection, prevention, and management of wafer surface contamination is essential during the entire Si wafer manufacturing process to guarantee defect-free and highly efficient wafers.Contaminants can be controlled and prevented by creating and maintaining a clean environment, sanitized equipment and tools, and clean materials. Doing this is so much simpler, compared to wafer cleaning. Therefore, strict contamination control should be exercised throughout the entire wafer manufacturing process.Processing equipment is one of the major sources of particle contamination. To effectively eliminate the dust particle and other contaminants found in processing equipment, it must go through regular electrostatic charge removal. Avoiding turbulent gas flows, reducing operator handling through computerization, and doing regular cleanups can further minimize particle generation in processing equipment.Effective measures during fabrication should also be carried out to prevent particle deposition. Implementing ultrafiltration of gases, processing liquids, and DIW also helps prevent contamination by chemical and particle impurities.Purification from point-of-use until the end of processing is also essential to guarantee that the wafers are ultra-clean.
Preventing wafer contamination throughout the entire Si wafer fabrication is essential to generate high-quality wafers. At Wafer World, we offer high-quality wafers at a reasonable price. Contact us for inquiries!
