How to Manufacture Silicon Wafers for Semiconductor Chips

How to Manufacture Silicon Wafers for Semiconductor Chips

Silicon wafers are the fundamental building blocks of semiconductor devices, widely used in electronic circuits, microchips, and integrated circuits (ICs). The process of manufacturing silicon wafers involves multiple precise steps, each contributing to the final quality of the wafer. This article explores the step-by-step process involved in the production of silicon wafers, including material selection, crystal growth, wafer slicing, and surface polishing. 1. Raw Material Extraction The manufacturing process begins with extracting raw silicon, the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust. Silicon is primarily derived from quartz (SiO₂) through the following chemical reaction in a submerged electric arc furnace: SiO₂ (solid) + C (solid) → Si (liquid) + CO₂ (gas) At high temperatures, the carbon (usually in the form of coke) reduces silica into metallurgical-grade silicon (MGS), which has a purity of about 98-99%. 2. Purification of Silicon: Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) For …