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Epitaxial wafer process is a critical technique used in semiconductor manufacturing. It involves the growth of a thin layer of crystal material on top of a substrate, which has the same crystal structure and orientation as the substrate. This process creates a high-quality interface between the two materials, allowing for the development of advanced electronic devices.

In the semiconductor industry, epitaxial layers play a crucial role by forming specific single-crystal thin films atop a wafer substrate, collectively known as epitaxial wafers. Particularly, silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial layers grown on conductive SiC substrates produce homogenous SiC epitaxial wafers, which are instrumental in the fabrication of power devices such as Schottky diodes, MOSFETs, and IGBTs, with 4H-SiC substrates being the most widely utilized.

Currently, many semiconductor devices employ mesa device structures, which are predominantly created through two types of etching: wet etching and dry etching. While the simple and rapid wet etching plays a significant role in semiconductor device fabrication, it has inherent drawbacks such as isotropic etching and poor uniformity, which result in limited control when transferring small-sized patterns. Dry etching, however, with its high anisotropy, good uniformity, and repeatability, has become prominent in semiconductor device fabrication processes. The term “dry etching” broadly refers to any non-wet etching technology used for removing surface materials and transferring micro and nano patterns, including laser etching, plasma etching, and chemical vapor etching. The dry etching discussed in this text specifically pertains to the narrow application of processes using plasma discharge—either physical or chemical—to modify material surfaces.

The push for higher power density and efficiency has become a primary driver of innovation across multiple industries, including data centers, renewable energy, consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and autonomous driving technologies. In the realm of wide bandgap (WBG) materials, Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) are currently the two core platforms, viewed as pivotal tools leading power semiconductor innovation. These materials are profoundly transforming the power electronics industry to address the ever-increasing demand for power.

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.

As technology nodes continue to shrink, the formation of ultra-shallow junctions presents significant challenges. Thermal annealing processes including Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and flash lamp annealing (FLA) are vital techniques that maintain high impurity activation rates while minimizing diffusion, ensuring optimal device performance.