Platinized Silicon Wafers: Platinum-Coated Substrates

UniversityWafer supplies platinized silicon wafers, also called platinum-coated silicon wafers or Pt-coated Si substrates, for electrode fabrication, electrochemical research, MEMS devices, and AFM surface analysis. Platinum films can be deposited by sputtering or evaporation on silicon wafers with substrate and coating specifications selected for your experiment. Request custom Pt thickness, adhesion layers, oxide or nitride underlayers, wafer diameter, orientation, and quantity.

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Platinum-Coated Silicon Wafers and Custom Pt Deposition

Platinizing a silicon wafer means depositing platinum onto the prepared wafer surface. The platinum is the coating; silicon is the supporting substrate. An insulating underlayer and an adhesion layer can be included when required by the device design.

Specify the complete film stack when requesting metal deposition on silicon. Pt thickness, surface roughness, film adhesion, and subsequent heating or chemical exposure all influence the suitability of the coated wafer.

UniversityWafer can discuss sputtered or evaporated platinum-group metal coatings, including Pt, Pd, Ir, and Ru, on silicon wafers. See thin-film deposition substrates for related coating and substrate options.

Get Your Pt Coated Si Wafer Quote FAST! Or, Buy Online and Start Researching Today!





Example Platinum-Coated Silicon Wafer Specifications

The following examples include 2-inch Pt-coated silicon, 4-inch platinum-coated wafers, and multilayer coating requests. Contact us to confirm current availability and the exact layer sequence.

Please email us your specs and quantity.

2 inch 50~200nm Platinized Si wafers (100)

2 inch 50~200nm Platinized Si wafers (111)

Type - P-type silicon
Dopant - B doped
Resistivity - 1–20 ohm-cm
Thickness - 0.5 mm
Polish SSP or DSP

4" silicon wafers with a thin layer (~100-150 nm thin) of platinum on top

4” silicon wafers with coating:

TiO2 400A-450A + SiO2 5000A+/-200A+Pt 2000A

Platinum Sputtering: Surface Roughness and Mirror Finish

A scientist requested the following quote:

Can you please let me know if you can do platinum sputtering and what the expected surface roughness and finish will be like?

The most important aspect for us is that we have a platinum layer as thick as about 10x the wavelength of visible light (say 5 micrometers) because we will be performing experiments with reflection. Also the roughness should be as low as possible and the surface should have a mirror-like finish.

So any specs on that would be much appreciated. The substrate is less important, preferably something that does not break easily and is easy to handle. Also we will not be subjecting it to any extreme temperature changes so we do not think we have any special requirements there. If the substrate and platinum top layer can be subjected to ultrasonic cleaner with a mild detergent that would be great. The specs of the underlying wafer itself are not very important.

We are looking to do some research on the optical and wetting properties of flat platinum surfaces. The size of the wafer ideally would be at least 100mm. We can start with 2 platinum-covered wafers.

Reference #225437 for specs and pricing.

Coating Polyimide Foils with Platinum (Pt)

A corporate researcher requested the following quote:

Question:

Can you coat 100nm Pt + 100nm Ti on top to Polyimidefoils (with a lift off resist)? What is maximum wafer size? Batch size?

Answer: Yes!

Item Qty. Description
GO95. 24 Polyimide foil (Kapton), P/P 100×150mm × 100µm,
with 100nm of Ti (Titanium) on front-side,
with 100nm of Pt(Platinum) over Ti on front-side,
Suitably packed for air-transport

Reference #253222 for specs and pricing.

Platinum Coated Silicon for AFM Adhesive Force Testing

A PhD Candidate requested the following quote:

I am looking for the platinum coated and gold coated Si wafer for AFM adhesive force testing. I am wondering if you have any of them?

The specs are below:

Pt coated Si wafer:
diameter: 4"
thickness: 500um - 550um
coating thickness: 100nm

Au coated Si wafer:
diameter: 4"
thickness: 500um - 550um
coating thickness: 100nm

No other specs. just want to make sure the coating surface is high purity and uniform because the AFM tip end is so small.

UniversityWafer, Inc. Quoted:

We have the following:
Si Wafer
4", 500um, SSP, P<100>, 1-40 ohm-cm
Quantity: 10 Pieces
FOB Price:
Cr+100nm Pt:
Cr+100nm Au:

Reference #267887 for pricing.

Platinum Thin Films to Fabricate Electron Transparent TEM Samples

A doctoral student requested a quote for the following:

My research group is looking to buy silicon wafers with a silicon nitride layer to deposit palladium and platinum thin films (<50nm). We need to anneal these films at up to 1000°C and then perform a KOH etch to make electron transparent TEM samples. What type of nitride layer wafer would be appropriate for this application?

We usually use 3” wafers, and would need something like 50 of them. Historically, we have used 450um thick thermally oxidized wafers, but thickness is not a critical factor since we mechanically pre-thin the samples before back-etching anyway. The properties of the bulk silicon are unimportant to us, other than having an appropriate orientation for KOH back-etching. The only other relevant factor is that we need to have as smooth a substrate surface as possible.

We would like to move to using nitride wafers in order to deposit Palladium, as noble metals sometimes have poor adhesion to oxide layers upon annealing due to their low affinity for oxygen groups. I have seen some suggestion that nitrides work better. On the site, there are a few options, and I am not sure which type of nitride layer is most appropriate for our application, which requires annealing at up to 1000°C followed by the preparation of electron transparent windows through chemical back etching for plan-view TEM work.

Would you have any advice, or be able to put me in contact with someone who can help advise, on what variety of nitride layer is best suited for this application?

We are a very small lab, and so we would not be likely to order a whole lot more than 50 wafers at a time. For the first order, we may want to go with a very small quantity to verify that our planned process works before committing to several dozen wafers.

Reference #269750 for specs and pricing.

Platinized Silicon Wafer Applications

Platinum-coated silicon provides a platform for experiments that require a conductive Pt surface. Common research uses include:

Platinized silicon wafer applications including electrochemical sensors, MEMS devices, fuel cells, catalysis research, surface analysis and photonic research
  • Electrochemical electrodes: Coated wafers provide planar platinum surfaces for electrochemistry, catalyst evaluation, and sensor experiments.
  • MEMS and sensor electrodes: Pt films can form electrodes, heaters, or contacts in MEMS fabrication, depending on the design.
  • Ferroelectric and piezoelectric thin films: Platinum bottom electrodes are used in selected PZT deposition stacks for capacitor, actuator, and sensor research.
  • Surface analysis: Smooth platinum films are useful for adhesion, wetting, and atomic force microscopy studies, as illustrated by the customer requests on this page.
  • Catalysis and fuel-cell research: Planar Pt-coated substrates can be used in model catalyst and electrode studies. Their suitability depends on the reaction environment and device geometry.
  • Microscopy sample development: Pt thin-film experiments may use silicon nitride coated wafers and TEM sample preparation methods, as described in the research inquiry.

What Are Platinized Silicon Wafers?

Platinized silicon wafers are silicon substrates coated with platinum. The Pt surface provides a metal electrode or research surface, while the silicon wafer supports the film. Oxide, nitride, or adhesion layers may be included in the stack.

A Pt-coated wafer should be specified as a complete substrate and coating system. The silicon orientation is distinct from the platinum film texture; neither should be assumed from the other. See silicon wafer crystal orientations when defining the starting wafer.

How Is Platinum Deposited on Silicon Wafers?

Platinum can be deposited onto prepared silicon substrates by sputtering or evaporation. The process and any adhesion or insulating layers should be selected for the required film thickness, surface finish, electrical behavior, and later processing.

  1. Select the substrate: Define diameter, orientation, polish, and whether the surface is bare silicon, thermal oxide on silicon, or another dielectric.
  2. Prepare the interface: Establish cleaning requirements and evaluate adhesion or barrier layers for the intended temperature and chemistry.
  3. Deposit the Pt film: Use an appropriate sputtering or evaporation process to target the specified coating thickness. See sputtering and evaporation for background.
  4. Verify the film: Agree on thickness, uniformity, roughness, and any electrical or adhesion measurements needed for acceptance.

Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si and Other Platinum Electrode Stacks

A common electrode architecture places an insulating oxide on silicon, an adhesion layer above the oxide, and platinum at the surface. Written from substrate to surface, an example is Si / SiO2 / Ti / Pt; written from surface to substrate, the same sequence is Pt / Ti / SiO2 / Si. These are example architectures; specify each layer and its thickness for your project.

Platinum electrodes for PZT thin films require attention to the later deposition and annealing steps. Other experiments may call for Pt on nitride, a chromium adhesion layer, or a different stack. Confirm layer order rather than relying on the phrase “platinized silicon” alone.

What Platinum Coating Thicknesses Can I Request?

Examples on this page include 50–200 nm platinum coatings and approximately 100–150 nm Pt films. A separate customer inquiry requests a coating near 5 µm; that inquiry is not a standard thickness or performance guarantee. Confirm custom thickness, roughness, and availability when requesting a quote.

Coating thickness does not by itself establish surface roughness, continuity, film texture, or sheet resistance. Include the properties that matter to the experiment when requesting a custom platinum film.

Does Platinum on Silicon Need an Adhesion Layer?

An adhesion layer may be needed, depending on the substrate surface and processing conditions. Titanium, titanium oxide, or chromium can be considered for selected platinum stacks. State the required layer material, thickness, and annealing conditions so compatibility can be evaluated.

Platinum’s bulk properties do not guarantee that a multilayer wafer will withstand a particular anneal. Evaluate the entire stack, including the dielectric, adhesion layer, atmosphere, temperature, and duration.

Platinum-Coated Silicon for Gas Sensor Research

Depending on the sensing mechanism, Pt may function as an electrode, heater, catalyst, or contact. Additional sensing films and device structures are usually needed; a blanket platinum coating alone does not define a complete gas sensor.

Photolithography and patterning can define electrode features. Silicon-based MEMS sensor structures may also require dielectric isolation, microfabrication, packaging, and calibration. Select the Pt stack for the complete fabrication flow.

Platinum vs Gold-Coated Silicon Substrates

Compare Pt and gold-coated silicon wafers using the required electrode chemistry, surface functionalization, electrical properties, film thickness, adhesion, and thermal processing. Neither coating is best for every experiment. For AFM adhesion studies, specify the same substrate preparation and measurement conditions when comparing the two surfaces.

What Specifications Are Needed for a Pt-Coated Wafer Quote?

Provide wafer diameter, thickness, orientation, doping, resistivity, polish, the complete coating stack with individual layer thicknesses, coated side, quantity, and any limits for roughness, uniformity, adhesion, or annealing.

For example, specify a 4-inch silicon wafer, the desired P-type or N-type substrate, a target resistivity range, oxide and adhesion layer requirements, and the Pt thickness. State whether the quoted sequence is written from substrate to surface.

Request Your Platinum-Coated Silicon Wafer Quote. Send your layer stack and quantity, or visit the wafer store to browse substrate options.

Explore semiconductor substrates, metal-coated wafers, and fabrication technologies used in electrochemical sensing, MEMS devices, thin-film deposition, and materials research.