Silicon wafers play a crucial role in countless devices. Without silicon wafers, you wouldn’t be able to watch your favorite television show, text your friend from all across the country, or even drive your smart car. Due to the important role of these semiconductors, there is a crucial need for silicon wafer suppliers to manufacture high quality wafers. How do silicon wafer suppliers determine wafer quality? Keep reading to learn about the 3 standards used to measure the quality of silicon wafers!
1. Cleanliness: Cleanliness is the first thing that silicon wafer suppliers look for when measuring the quality of the wafer. Specifically, they look for Light Point Defects (LPDs). LPDs are unwanted particles on the surface of the wafer. These particles are measured by the total number found across with wafer, however, some edges may be excluded.
2. Flatness: The next standard used to measure wafer quality is flatness. Flatness is determined by Total Thickness Variation (TTV), warp, Global Total Indicated Reading (GTIR), site TIR, and bow. These flatness factors are measured using a given reference plane, which is often the backside of the wafer.
3. Defects: Defects are the most important standard used to measure the quality of wafers and are one of the principle causes for silicon wafers to get rejected. There are numerous types of wafer defects. The most common defects range from pits and micro-scratches on the surface to imperfection buried deep in the wafer.With so many different silicon wafer suppliers, it’s hard to know which ones provide quality wafers and which ones don’t.
Never second guess the quality of your silicon wafers by partnering with Wafer World. We are leaders in silicon wafer manufacturing with a commitment to individual customer relationship and high-quality wafer products. Shop for wafers anytime, any day by visiting our fully equipped online store!
