Primarily, there are two ways to make silicon wafers. There is the Czochralski method, which focuses on silicon crystal growth, and the Float Zone method. While both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses, let's take a more in-depth look at how Float Zone (FZ) wafers are produced.
Float-zone silicon is a high-quality alternative to the Czochralski process. With float zone silicon, the concentrations of impurities, such as carbon and oxygen, are extremely low. That is why it has become an industry-standard in producing silicon.
The float Zone method was first invented by Henry Theurer in 1962 and is based on the zone-melting principle. The entire production takes place under a vacuum. The FZ process starts with a high-purity polycrystalline rod and a monocrystalline seed crystal that are held face to face in a vertical position and are rotated. After this, both of these materials are partially melted.After this happens, the seed is brought up from below to make contact with the drop of melt formed at the tip of the poly rod. As the molten zone is moved along the rod, the silicon solidifies into a single Crystal, and, simultaneously, the material is purified. Because of how it is made, FZ silicon can quickly achieve much higher purity and has a higher resistivity.
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