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SiC substrate can have microscopic defects, such as Threading Screw Dislocation (TSD), Threading Edge Dislocation (TED), Base Plane Dislocation (BPD), and others. These defects are caused by deviations in the arrangement of atoms at the atomic level. SiC crystals may also have macroscopic dislocations, like Si or C inclusions, micropipe, hexagonal voids, polymorphs, etc. These dislocations are typically large in size.

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a material that possesses high bond energy, similar to other hard materials like diamond and cubic boron nitride. However, the high bond energy of SiC makes it difficult to crystallize directly into ingots via traditional melting methods. Therefore, the process of growing silicon carbide crystals involves the use of vapor phase epitaxy technology.

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.

In the process of wafer preparation, there are two core links: one is the preparation of the substrate, and the other is the implementation of the epitaxial process. The substrate, a wafer carefully made of semiconductor single crystal material, can be directly put into the wafer manufacturing process as a basis to produce semiconductor devices, or further enhance the performance through the epitaxial process.

Oxidation processes play a critical role in preventing such problems by creating a protective layer on the wafer, known as the oxide layer, which acts as a barrier between different chemicals.

According to reports from German media, U.S. chip manufacturer Wolfspeed is pausing its plans to build a semiconductor plant in Germany.