Silicon Wafer Foundry Service Providers

By Paul Drake


The industry of semiconductor (as well as the sectors that is it serving) has been benefiting a lot from the services provided by wafer foundry companies. Specifically, the advent of advanced technologies like the fabless business model, give the customers the economic advantage, which is a key factor in reducing operational costs. It is through the help of foundry service providers's process capabilities that the production of semiconductor components (like MEMS) have become more efficient and cost-effective.

What are these process capabilities? Check out the following:

Lithography - putting specific patterns on silicon substrates; the patterns are written on the surface of the wafers through the use of a light sensitive polymer called photoresist. Also known as photolithography, this process plays a significant role in the manufacturing semiconductor components that integrate millions of transistors of a circuit.

Etching - the prints you see on the surface of a wafer (also known as substrate) are made through etching process. Wafer processing companies utilize various wet etching capabilities that etch wafers in smaller diameters - from 300 mm and below - for a wide range of dielectrics and metal films. In addition to that, they are also capable of processing non-standard sized wafers.

Wafer reclaim and recovery - the very purpose of this process is to extend the life of a wafer - for longer duration use. A wafer foundry company mechanically re-polishes wafers to remove surface scratches and residual patterns. While there is a certain limit on how many times a wafer can be reclaimed, still this process is considered a cost-effective solution for clients.

Thin films (dielectrics) - includes thermal oxide and LPCVD processes; foundry companies use equipment like custom furnaces to carry out Thermal Oxide process.

KISS Polishing this process is designed to remove minor surface scratches or defects on a wafer; it involves visual inspection to determine which wafers have chips and cracks.

There are still a lot of process capabilities inside a silicon wafer foundry service facility - thanks to the people behind these innovations. Indeed, they play a key role for the semiconductor industry and the sectors it serves.




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