Substrates for Nanofabrication

university wafer substrates

4 Inch Silicon Carbide Wafers Used In Nanofabrication

A Post Doc requested a quote for the following.

I'm looking for a single, double side polished, 4H, 4" SiC wafer roughly 2mm in thickness for use in nanofabrication. Dopant, conduction, resistivity, and micropipe density are a bit up in the air. Iis it possible to get a big list of SiC wafers that you do have so we can choose that way?

Pls see below for the offer on requested 2mm thick SSP and DSP SiC wafer

  1. Description: 4” (100MM) 4H 2MM thickness SSP
    4” (100MM) 4H semi-insulating type SiC wafer high transparency grade, 2MM thickness, with single side polished
  2. Description: 4” (100MM) 4H 2MM thickness DSP
    4” (100MM) 4H semi-insulating type SiC wafer high transparency grade, 2MM thickness, with doubl sides polished

Reference #255176 for specs and pricing.

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Fused Silica Wafers for Nanofabrication

A materials science professor requested a quote for the following.

Answer:

We recomend material SK1300 can fit to your application requirement.

Reference #271863 for specs and quantity.

 

 

Silicon Wafers for Nanofabrication Studies

A Postdoctoral Researcher requested help with the following.

I would like to purchase some silicon wafers specs below.

100mm (Diameter) N type Phosphorus Dopant <100> orientation 5-10 ohm-cm (resistivity) 525 +/- 25 um (Thickness) Prime silicon wafer Single side polished 2 semi flats Wet thermal oxide on both sides (4000 A +/- 5%)

Just to confirm this existing wafer spec is good enough for micro and nano-fabrication of microelectrodes and sensors? If you have any other options available also let me know so I can compare.

Reference #297416 for specs and pricing. See below for an explaination.

The silicon wafer you requested are a good choice for micro and nanofabrication of microelectrodes and sensors. Here's why:

  1. N-type Phosphorus Dopant (<100> orientation):

    • This is a common and well-understood wafer type for electronic applications. The <100> orientation is widely used in semiconductor fabrication because of its suitability for etching and other fabrication processes.

  2. Resistivity (5-10 ohm-cm):

    • The resistivity range of 5-10 ohm-cm is moderate and should work well for both microelectrodes and sensors. Lower resistivity wafers tend to have higher doping levels, which may impact the performance of certain devices, but this range offers a good balance for many applications.

  3. Thickness (525 ± 25 µm):

    • This is a standard thickness for silicon wafers and should be mechanically robust for most fabrication processes. If you're doing through-wafer etching, this thickness is commonly used.

  4. Prime Grade:

    • Prime-grade wafers have minimal defects, making them suitable for precise micro and nanofabrication.

  5. Polishing (Single-side polished):

    • A single-side polished wafer is typical for most applications, especially when you only need the front surface for fabrication. Double-side polished wafers might be required in some very specific applications, but this should not affect most sensor or microelectrode projects.

  6. Wet Thermal Oxide on Both Sides (4000 Å ± 5%):

    • Wet oxide offers good conformal coverage and works well as an insulating layer or mask. A thickness of 4000 Å (400 nm) is generally sufficient for most sensor and electrode passivation layers or as a dielectric layer.

Other Options to Consider:

  1. Double-side Polished Wafer:

    • If you're working with very fine features or performing double-sided processing, you may want to consider a double-side polished wafer. This can improve alignment accuracy for complex designs.

  2. Higher Resistivity Wafers:

    • If you're looking for lower leakage currents in sensor applications, you could consider wafers with higher resistivity, like 10-20 ohm-cm or even higher. Higher resistivity can improve isolation between devices.

  3. Dry Thermal Oxide:

    • If you need a more uniform and denser oxide layer, dry thermal oxidation could be an alternative. It produces thinner and higher-quality oxide layers compared to wet oxide.

  4. SOI (Silicon-on-Insulator) Wafers:

    • If you require precise control over the thickness of the device layer or excellent electrical isolation, an SOI wafer could be a better option. It has an insulating oxide layer between a thin device layer of silicon and the bulk silicon, which is useful in many microfabrication applications.

If you need further customization or suggestions for specific vendors, feel free to ask!

What Is Nanofabrication?

Nanofabrication refers to the process of designing and creating structures and devices with features on the nanometer scale (typically less than 100 nanometers in size). It is used in various fields such as electronics, optics, materials science, and biotechnology to create devices that have extremely small, precise features.

Key Aspects of Nanofabrication:

  1. Scale:

    • Nanofabrication operates at the scale of atoms and molecules, where 1 nanometer (nm) is one Nanofabrication laboratory scene, showing advanced equipment and nanostructures on a silicon wafer. The scientist is working in a cleanroom environment with magnification tools, capturing the intricate process of fabricating devices at the nanoscale.billionth of a meter. For comparison, a human hair is about 80,000 to 100,000 nm in diameter. Working at this tiny scale allows the creation of very small components that can be used in high-performance technologies.

  2. Techniques:

    • Top-down techniques: These involve starting with a larger material (such as a silicon wafer) and then removing parts of it to create smaller structures. Examples include:

      • Lithography: A method where patterns are transferred onto a substrate using light, electrons, or ions. Photolithography and electron-beam lithography are common methods.
      • Etching: After patterning, parts of the material are etched away to leave behind the desired nanostructures.
      • Deposition: Materials such as metals or oxides can be deposited onto a surface in thin layers, forming part of the nanostructure.

    • Bottom-up techniques: These involve building structures by assembling atoms or molecules. Examples include:

      • Chemical vapor deposition (CVD): Gases are used to form solid materials (like carbon nanotubes) on a substrate.
      • Self-assembly: Molecules are designed to naturally arrange themselves into specific structures without external guidance.

  3. Applications:

    • Microelectronics: Nanofabrication is used to create smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient semiconductor devices, such as transistors, which are crucial for modern computers and smartphones.
    • Sensors: Nanofabricated sensors can detect changes in the environment at very small scales, making them useful in health monitoring, environmental detection, and more.
    • Nanomedicine: Nanofabrication enables the creation of nanoscale drug delivery systems, medical implants, and diagnostic tools.
    • Quantum devices: Nanofabrication is essential in the development of quantum dots, qubits, and other quantum computing elements.

  4. Challenges:

    • Precision: At the nanometer scale, even the slightest imperfections can impact the performance of a device, making precision extremely important.
    • Materials: Creating stable structures at such small scales requires advanced materials and techniques to ensure reliability and functionality.

In summary, nanofabrication allows the creation of incredibly small structures and devices, which are essential for advancing technology in fields such as electronics, medicine, and materials science.