SiC Paddles

Semicorex SiC paddles are the wafer "carriers," taking wafers into furnaces hotter than 1000 degrees Celsius. This is their key benefit: high purity, high-temperature stability, to maintain mechanical rigidity when transporting the sample in extreme environments. High-purity materials are effective for disallowing the metal impurities from contaminating the wafer; so too does the high temperature stability of silicon carbide, as it will maintain chemical stability at processing temperatures that preclude the outgassing of metal impurities or particulates from contaminating the wafer, ensuring a stable wafer yield. Lastly, cantilever paddles are also compatible with integrated wafer transfer systems, further diminishing the dependency on humans and increasing throughput.

The SiC Paddles are unique component of the carrier, specifically for the transport and integration of semiconductor wafer into a batch workload in processes like high-temperature oxidation and diffusion, among others. Made with high purity silicon carbide (SiC), the SiC Paddles provide the thermal stability, mechanical strength and chemical durability to ensure stable transport above temperatures of 1000 °C. The SiC Paddles is required for wafer processing: it will ensure that fragile substrates can be appropriately handled while maintaining integrity and consistency throughout the oxidation, diffusion, and annealing process.

Designed to be robust and reliable, the SiC Paddles are cantilever-type arm that holds wafer boats or wafer stacks. The paddle supports wafers while they are being inserted or removed from the process chamber. Conventional materials fail at these high temperatures through deformation, warping, or chemical degradation. The mechanical stability and structural integrity of silicon carbide allows the paddle to survive multiple thermal cycles without loss of shape or function. This capability is important for maintaining the furnace's alignment, ensuring the wafers are not damaged during the process, and minimizing expensive downtime.

The SiC Paddles' thermal stability is complemented by its excellent chemical resistance to reactive gases that usually show up in oxidation and diffusion processes (e.g., oxygen, chlorine, and other aggressive species at high temperature). Many materials will get destroyed or contaminated when exposed to both high temperature and oxygen. Silicon carbide is chemically inert and its dense microstructure ensures that chemical reactions will not occur, providing both paddle structural integrity and a clean environment for the wafer. The resultant risk for contamination is kept to a minimum for semiconductor manufacturers who operate at some of the most advanced process nodes for which even trace elements of contaminamas can induce significant changes in device performance.

The mechanical integrity associated with the SiC Paddles also provides value in handling processes. The cantilever structural form requires a material that can hold weights of layer stacks and does not flex or sag. Silicon carbide's very high modulus and very high hardness make it a good consideration for the mechanical structural function that is required. The SiC Paddle retains both flatness and structure even loaded with wafers. This is means constant control of the furnace anad its conditions during long production periods.