China Etching equipment Manufacturers, Suppliers, Factory

The Silicon Carbide (SiC) production process encompasses the preparation of substrate and epitaxy from the materials side, followed by chip design and manufacturing, device packaging, and finally, distribution to downstream application markets. Among these stages, substrate material processing is the most challenging aspect of the SiC industry. SiC substrates are both hard and brittle, making cutting, grinding, and polishing extremely difficult. This increases the likelihood of defects during processing and reduces the yield rate. Currently, major international SiC manufacturers are planning to transition from 6-inch to 8-inch SiC wafers. Overcoming the challenges associated with 8-inch substrates has become a critical benchmark for the SiC industry. This article will introduce the key parameters of SiC substrates.

Defect-free epitaxial growth occurs when one crystal lattice has nearly identical lattice constants to another. Growth happens when lattice sites of the two lattices at the interface region are approximately matched, which is possible with a small lattice mismatch (less than 0.1%). This approximate matching is achieved even with elastic strain at the interface, where each atom is slightly displaced from its original position in the boundary layer. While a small amount of strain is tolerable for thin layers and even desirable for quantum well lasers, the strain energy stored in the crystal is generally lowered by the formation of misfit dislocations, which involve a missing row of atoms in one lattice.

Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics, known for their high strength, hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and high-temperature stability, have demonstrated immense potential and value across numerous industrial sectors since their introduction.

Homoepitaxy and heteroepitaxy play pivotal roles in material science. Homoepitaxy involves the growth of a crystalline layer on a substrate of the same material, ensuring minimal defects due to perfect lattice matching. In contrast, heteroepitaxy grows a crystalline layer on a different material substrate, which can lead to challenges like lattice mismatch. These processes are crucial in advancing semiconductor devices and thin films. For instance, heteroepitaxy significantly impacts microelectronics and quantum optics, contributing to innovations like Light Emitting Diodes.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently confirmed a $544 million loan to SK Siltron, a semiconductor wafer manufacturer under SK Group.

Semicorex offers high-quality thermal insulation felt and glass-like carbon coating.