Types of SILICON Wafer
WaferPro offers Silicon Wafers of the following types:
Prime Silicon Wafer
Prime silicon wafers are also referred to as Device Grade or Particle Grade wafers. Prime wafers have tighter spec for Thickness, Bow, Warp, TTV, Surface Roughness and Cleanliness.
Applications: • Semiconductor devices • Photolithography • Particle Monitors and more.
Test Silicon Wafer
Also referred to as Monitor or Dummy wafers. Test wafers have wider or looser specs than Prime wafers. They can be Prime wafers that did not meet all of the specs to be classified as a Prime wafer.
Applications: • Equipment Setup and Testing • Production Process Evaluation • Process Development and more.
Reclaimed Silicon Wafer
Reclaimed wafers are Prime and Test wafers that have been used in manufacturing, then have been chemically and/or mechanically treated for reuse as a bare silicon wafer. While these wafers may be slightly thinner than virgin Test wafers, they can usually be used as are a lower cost alternative in many of the same processes.
Silicon Wafer With Thermal Oxide
These are Silicon wafers which have been through either a Wet Thermal Oxide, or a Dry Thermal Oxide process, to “grow” a Thermal Oxide, or Silicon Dioxide (Sio2), layer on the surface of the wafer. This is done by exposing the wafer to a combination of oxidizing agents and heat. The oxide is most commonly used as a dielectric layer and in MEMs devices. Thermal Oxide is grown on both sides of the wafer, but can then be removed from one side if a single side oxide layer is needed.
Silicon Wafer With LPCVD/PECVD Nitride
We offer wafers with two types of Nitride film.
LPCVD Nitride - Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition Nitride
Applied to both sides of the wafer at the same time.
Used where temperature is not critical.
The higher temperature process which leads to more stable, higher purity film.
PECVD Nitride - Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition Nitride
Applied to only one side of the wafer.
More suitable when a lower temperature process is needed.