Thermal Oxide is a foundational dielectric layer utilized in various semiconductor devices. When properly developed using high purity, low defect silicon substrates, Thermal Oxide serves as an excellent insulator. The application of Thermal Oxide includes its use as a 'field oxide', which can electrically isolate different conductive films such as polysilicon and metal from the silicon substrate. Furthermore, it is integral as a 'gate oxide' within devices, providing the necessary dielectric layer.\n\nManufacturing of Thermal Oxide involves oxidizing silicon wafers in high-temperature furnaces, with standard processes occurring between 800 and 1050 degrees Celsius. This method involves housing the wafers in quartz glass tubes that can withstand the high thermal requirements, ensuring minimal risk of cracking or warping during processing due to its inherent stability.\n\nThe Thermal Oxide process at NanoSILICON involves both wet and dry oxidation methods, utilizing ultra-high purity sources. The process enables the precise control of oxide thickness and uniformity, confirmed by advanced measurement tools such as the Nanometrics 210. This ensures that the resulting layers have uniform thickness across and within wafers, critical for the device's performance and reliability.\n\nNanoSILICON's expertise in Thermal Oxide Processing results in layers ranging from 500 to 100,000 Å, with carefully maintained process controls for thickness variation and uniformity. It is integral to various applications in the semiconductor industry, supported by their highly specialized equipment and meticulous quality assurance processes.
