China Carbon Semiconductor Manufacturers, Suppliers, Factory

Heat treatment is one of the essential and important processes in the semiconductor process. Thermal process is the process of applying thermal energy to a wafer by placing it in an environment filled with a specific gas, including oxidation/diffusion/annealing, etc.

The most basic stage of all processes is the oxidation process. The oxidation process is to place the silicon wafer in an atmosphere of oxidants such as oxygen or water vapor for high-temperature heat treatment (800~1200℃), and a chemical reaction occurs on the surface of the silicon wafer to form an oxide film (SiO2 film).

Silicon carbide (SiC) is highly favored in the semiconductor industry for its excellent physical and chemical properties. However, the high hardness and brittleness of SiC pose considerable challenges to its processing.

In semiconductor manufacturing, the precision and stability of the etching process are paramount. One critical factor in achieving high-quality etching is ensuring that wafers are perfectly flat on the tray during the process. Any deviation can lead to uneven ion bombardment, causing undesirable angles and variations in etching rates. To address these challenges, engineers have developed Electrostatic Chucks (ESCs), which have significantly improved etching quality and stability. This article delves into the design and functionality of ESCs, focusing on one key aspect: the electrostatic principles behind wafer adhesion.

In semiconductor manufacturing, atomic-level flatness is usually used to describe the global flatness of the wafer, with the unit of nanometers (nm).