Thermal oxide, often referred to as SiO2, is an essential film used in creating various semiconductor devices, ranging from simple to complex structures. This dielectric film is created by oxidizing silicon wafers under controlled conditions using high-purity, low-defect silicon substrates. This process produces a high-quality oxide layer that serves two main purposes: it acts as a field oxide to electrically insulate different layers, such as polysilicon or metal, from the silicon substrate, and as a gate oxide essential for device function.
The thermal oxidation process occurs in furnaces set between 800°C to 1050°C. Utilizing high-purity steam and oxygen, the growth of thermal oxide is meticulously controlled, offering batch thickness uniformity of ±5% and within-wafer uniformity of ±3%. With different techniques used for growth, dry oxidation results in slower growth, higher density, and increased breakdown voltage, whereas wet oxidation allows faster growth, even at lower temperatures, facilitating the formation of thicker oxides.
NanoSILICON, Inc. is equipped with state-of-the-art horizontal furnaces that manage such high-precision oxidation processes. These furnaces, due to their durable quartz construction, ensure stability and defect-free production. Additionally, the processing equipment, like the Nanometrics 210, inspects film thickness and uniformity using advanced optical reflection techniques, guaranteeing a high standard of production. With these capabilities, NanoSILICON Inc. supports a diverse range of wafer sizes and materials, ensuring superior quality oxide films that meet specific needs for your semiconductor designs.
