In the semiconductor industry, the term wafer appeared in the 1950s to describe a thin round slice of semiconductor material, typically germanium or silicon. The round shape characteristic … See more

Standard wafer sizes
Silicon
Silicon wafers are available in a variety of diameters from 25.4 mm (1 inch) to 300 mm (11.8 inches). See more

While silicon is the prevalent material for wafers used in the electronics industry, other compound III-V or II-VI materials have also been employed. See more

• Die preparation
• Epitaxial wafer
• Epitaxy
• Monocrystalline silicon
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Formation
Wafers are formed of highly pure, nearly defect-free single crystalline material, with a purity of 99.9999999% (9N) or higher. One process for forming … See more

Challenges
There is considerable resistance to the 450 mm transition despite the possible productivity … See more

In order to minimize the cost per die, manufacturers wish to maximize the number of dies that can be made from a single wafer; dies always have a square or rectangular shape … See more