A Fused Silica Wafer with an 8-inch diameter is a high-performance material widely used in semiconductor, optical, and photonic applications. Made from high-purity silicon dioxide (SiO₂), fused silica wafers are known for their outstanding optical properties, thermal stability, and chemical inertness. The 8-inch size is suitable for large-scale production in advanced semiconductor devices, photonic circuits, optical components, and research applications where high material quality is required.
Key Characteristics of a Fused Silica Wafer (8 Inches):
Fused Silica Material:
Fused silica is an amorphous (non-crystalline) form of silicon dioxide (SiO₂), produced by melting high-purity silica and rapidly cooling it to form a solid structure.
It has extremely low thermal expansion, high chemical resistance, and exceptionally low levels of impurities, making it a suitable material for applications where high purity, durability, and stability are required.
Optical Properties:
High Optical Transparency: Fused silica wafers are highly transparent across a broad spectrum, from the ultraviolet (UV) to the infrared (IR) range, making them ideal for optical applications like lenses, windows, beam splitters, and mirrors.
Low Absorption: Fused silica has minimal absorption in the UV and visible light regions, which is crucial for applications requiring high-quality light transmission and low light loss, such as in photolithography, laser systems, and optical fibers.
Minimal Optical Distortion: The amorphous nature of fused silica minimizes optical distortion, making it a preferred choice for high-precision optical systems that require minimal scattering or refraction of light.
Thermal Properties:
Low Thermal Expansion: Fused silica has one of the lowest coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of any material, meaning it expands and contracts very little with temperature changes. This property makes it highly stable in environments where thermal cycling is a concern.
Thermal Shock Resistance: Fused silica can withstand rapid temperature changes without cracking or breaking, making it suitable for applications that involve thermal cycling or extreme temperature conditions, such as semiconductor processing or optical testing.
High Thermal Conductivity: Fused silica offers high thermal conductivity, allowing it to efficiently dissipate heat in devices where thermal management is critical.
Mechanical Properties:
High Mechanical Strength: Fused silica is mechanically strong and resistant to wear and tear, although it remains relatively brittle and should be handled with care to avoid breakage.
Scratch Resistance: Fused silica wafers are highly resistant to scratching, ensuring that the optical surface remains smooth and defect-free throughout processing and usage.
Surface Quality: Fused silica wafers are typically polished to achieve a high-quality, smooth surface with minimal imperfections, ensuring that the wafer meets stringent requirements for optical and semiconductor applications.
Applications:
Optical Components: Fused silica wafers are widely used in the production of optical components such as lenses, mirrors, beam splitters, prisms, and windows. Their high transparency and low absorption make them ideal for precision optics used in spectroscopy, microscopy, and laser systems.
Semiconductor and Photonic Devices: Fused silica wafers are used in semiconductor manufacturing and photonics, such as photolithography masks, optical fibers, and waveguides, where high material purity and minimal contamination are essential.
Photonic Circuits: In the field of photonic integrated circuits (PICs), fused silica wafers serve as the foundation for devices that integrate optical and electrical components on a single chip, supporting the development of high-speed communication systems, sensors, and lasers.
Lithography Masks: Fused silica is often used as a substrate for photomasks in semiconductor lithography due to its optical transparency, which ensures that fine features can be accurately transferred onto semiconductor substrates during chip manufacturing.
Solar Cells: In solar cell production, fused silica wafers can be used as substrates for high-efficiency solar cells, as the material’s thermal stability and high optical transparency make it ideal for capturing and converting sunlight into electricity.
Advantages of Fused Silica Wafers:
Optical Transparency: The excellent optical transparency across a broad spectrum of light, from UV to IR, makes these wafers highly suited for optical and photonic devices that require high light transmission with minimal distortion or absorption.
Thermal and Mechanical Durability: Fused silica’s low thermal expansion, high thermal shock resistance, and mechanical strength make it suitable for high-temperature or high-stress applications where stability and durability are critical.
Purity and Low Contamination: Fused silica wafers are produced to extremely high levels of purity, ensuring low contamination and reliable performance in high-precision devices like laser systems, sensors, and optical fibers.
Surface Quality: The polished surface ensures a smooth, flat, and defect-free surface, which is essential for applications requiring precise optical performance and high-quality device fabrication.