Top 10 silicon wafer manufacturing companies in the world

Although the term ‘silicon wafer’ may seem like an oddity, there is a high possibility that you might have encountered the object at some point in your life. In simple words, we can understand silicon wafers as thin slices of pure or doped crystalline silicon, which are utilized as materials used for producing semiconductors. Therefore, if you have ever used a smartphone, TV, or computer, then most certainly, you have come across silicon wafers. The primary reason for the ubiquity of silicon wafers in the semiconductor industry is their abundance. Being the second most-commonly found element on earth, usually in the form of SiO2, silicon offers an excellent trajectory for silicon wafer manufacturers to harness its prowess. In addition, the electrical characteristics of silicon become vehemently controllable when doped with substances like boron. As a result, it makes an incredibly budget-friendly and effective semiconductor for fabricating chips, photovoltaics, etc.

HISTORY OF SILICON WAFERS

Silicon was first discovered by Swedish chemist Jons Jacob Berzelius in 1824. However, the discovery did not culminate in immediate industrial use. Rather, silicon was seen as a chemical element. In the 1940s, companies began experimenting with rudimentary transistor models with a semiconducting substance known as Germanium. However, everything changed in the 1950s when it was recognized that silicon was a much more efficient alternative. The first silicone wafers were being experimented on by an Egyptian-American engineer. In 1954, the first commercially available silicon wafer was produced, which paved the way for silicon to emerge as the unrivaled king of the transistor industry. Thereafter, multiple silicon wafer manufacturers propped up the world over.

Now that we have touched upon the fundamental aspects of silicon wafers, let us glance at the world’s top ten silicon ingot manufacturers.

TEN BEST SILICON WAFER MANUFACTURING COMPANIES THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

1. Absolute PCB – With 20 years of experience in silicon production, Absolute PCB is a name you can trust when it comes to top-notch silicon wafer manufacturing. The company has assisted designers and entrepreneurs navigate the often-undulating world of PCB (printed circuit board) with top-notch silicon wafer manufacturing. Absolute PCB has domestic and international clients that it serves in a wide selection of projects in both prototype and production quantities.
2. Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation – It is an American semiconductor foundry that produces over 45000 silicon wafers per month. The company was established in 1990 with its headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaii, and offices in Taiwan and Tokyo.
3. LANC0 – One of the world’s most reliable silicon wafer manufacturers is LANCO, whose operations began in 1971. The company produces best-in-class polysilicon wafers for electronics, telecommunications, and other industries. Currently, LANCO has over 200 facilities worldwide.
4. Elkem – It is a Norwegian silicon wafer manufacturing company with a monthly production capacity of almost 1.5 million silicon wafers. Owing to its production area of 3 million square meters, Elkem overtakes many of its competitors.
5. Mitsubishi/Sumitomo Sumco Silicon – Both companies merged and integrated their silicon production businesses. Their forte includes 300mm silicon wafers and water-related quartz products.
6. MEMC Electronic Materials – It is one of the most sought-after silicon ingot manufacturers that began production in 1992. MEMC Produces premium-quality polysilicon wafers that assist in the creation of DRM memories, logic chips, and other electronic devices. The company maintains 11 facilities worldwide, with a 310 million square meters production area. 
7. PV Crystalox Solar – It specializes in multi-crystalline silicon ingots and wafers for use in solar power generation systems. The company can produce 2 million silicon wafers annually in its 20 facilities scattered around the globe.
8. Siltronic – One of the most recognizable names in the silicon wafer manufacturing sector, Siltronic produces hyperpure silicon wafers that began operation in 1963. Headquartered in Germany, Siltronic currently churns out almost 2 million silicon semiconductor wafers monthly. It is also one of the largest producers of solar cells globally.
9. LDK Solar – Headquartered in China, LDK Solar is one of the largest global producers of crystalline silicon wafers that cater to the solar photovoltaic industry. 
10. Shin-Etsu Chemicals – It is Japan’s second-largest silicon wafer manufacturer, with a total production area of 750000 square meters. In addition to premium silicon wafers, some of the other specialties of Shin-Etsu Chemicals include quartz, zinc oxide, and hydrogen fluoride.

Now that we know about the ten best silicon wafer-manufacturing companies in the world, let us skim through their preparation method and processing steps.

PREPARATION OF SILICON WAFER MEDIA

The objective of preparing silicon wafer media is to remove the unwanted silicon materials found on the seed layer. 

Step 1 – For the first step, single crystal seeds are placed on a rotating wafer carrier where crystal silicon is grown from the seed layer. After its growth, the crystal is thinly sliced and sent for testing and packaging.

Step 2 – The second step is to filter the wafer vis-à-vis its thickness, after which it is ready for the crystalline process.

Step 3 – The third step entails lap the silicon wafers by polishing their surfaces.

Step 4 – Finally, the wafers of the same size and flatness are packaged and then sent for further polishing with processes like shot blast and pickle.

Step 5 – The ultimate step in preparing a silicon wafer medium is to check the quality of the silicon wafers and their suitability vis-à-vis electrical properties.

SILICON WAFER PROCESSING STEPS 

Some of the best silicon wafer manufacturing companies, like Absolute PCB, produce their silicon wafers in the following ways –

• Fabrication
• Diffusion
• Coat-Baking
• Aligning
• Developing
• Dry Etching
• Wet Etching
• Cleaning
• Photolithography
• Implanting or Masking Steps
• Wire Bonding
• Trimming and Formation
• Final Testing
• Shipping

So, there we have it, a crisp overview on how to prepare silicon wafer medium and the production process of silicon wafers.

CRITERIA TO SELECT THE TOP SILICON WAFER MANUFACTURING COMPANIES

With a plethora of options, opting for the proper silicon wafer manufacturer that suits your requirements might become overwhelming. However, filtering through specific parameters might be helpful. To begin with, wafer quality in terms of raw materials and high-yielding process likewise indicate the integrity of a silicon wafer-producing company. It is noteworthy to remember that the quality of wafers is vehemently reflected in the finished product. Consequently, other criteria, such as wafer thickness, EU RoHS compliance, energy efficiency, etc., also help determine the stronghold of a silicon wafer manufacturing company among a sea of competitors.

So, there we have it, a summary of the ten best silicon wafer producers in the world, coupled with an overview of its history, importance, and production-preparation process. 

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