What Are Silicon Germanium Wafers—And Why Are They So Important?

There’s a reason why most chip manufacturers come to us to buy a silicon wafer: silicon is the second most available material in the earth’s crust, making it much more accessible for mass manufacture of semiconductors than materials with higher electron mobility, like germanium.

However, choosing one over the other doesn’t have to be mandatory. Silicon-Germanium wafers, commonly known as SiGe, serve as a base for more efficient and powerful chips than silicon alone, costing a fraction of a completely gallium-arsenide wafer. Here, we’ll explore some of their benefits.

What Are Silicon Germanium Wafers?

Silicon germanium wafers were first developed by IBM in 1996. They are composed in one of two ways:

• A single crystalline wafer with a germanium epitaxial layer covering its outermost surface
• A germanium wafer embedded with silicon

Key Characteristics of Germanium Wafers

The crystalline structure of germanium wafers is similar to that of silicon. Still, they boast a higher intrinsic carrier concentration, which leads to improved electrical conductivity.

Applications and Growth Potential

Silicon germanium wafers can enhance the functionality of high-speed network devices, portable wireless devices, untethered computing, and high-speed processor peripherals. This meant an enormous opportunity for growth for the New York-based tech giant.

Buy the Silicon Wafer You Need

Germanium is a key driver of semiconductor innovation, whether by combining it with silicon or by creating semiconductors entirely made of it. Still, it’s a scarce material that can considerably drive costs while eating at revenue.

While having lower carrier mobility, the silicon wafers at Wafer World offer great electrical and thermal properties. If you’d like to learn more, contact us!