Quartz (silicon dioxide, SiO2) is a widely used material in semiconductor manufacturing, which has excellent thermal stability and chemical inertness, which makes quartz products such as quartz tubes play an indispensable role in the semiconductor production process.

Physical and chemical properties

The high purity and stability of quartz materials are key reasons for their wide application in the semiconductor industry. They can withstand high temperatures and do not easily react with most chemicals, including strong acids and bases. In addition, quartz has good light transmission and a low coefficient of thermal expansion, which are essential for semiconductor processes that require precise control.

Application field

1. Diffusion and doping

In the fabrication of semiconductor wafers, diffusion furnaces are used to introduce impurity atoms into silicon wafers to change electrical properties. In this process, quartz tubes act as containers to carry the silicon wafers, providing the necessary isolation protection and ensuring uniform temperature distribution and chemical environment.

2. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)

CVD is a technique used to grow thin films in which gaseous precursors chemically react on the surface of a substrate to form a solid substance. Quartz tubes act as part of the reaction chamber during this process, and their internal surfaces are kept clean and free of contamination, helping to improve the quality of the film.

3. Etching

The etching step in semiconductor manufacturing is designed to remove unwanted parts or layers. Some dry etching processes may use plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), where quartz tubes act as reactor walls to hold the plasma and protect equipment from corrosion.

4. Annealing

Annealing is a type of heat treatment performed to repair defects caused by previous processing steps. During this time, the quartz tube can be used as an insulator around the heating element while providing a controlled atmosphere to prevent unwanted oxidation or other side reactions.

5. Lithography

Although the main factors directly involved in the lithography process are the reticle and the photoresist, the quartz tube can play a role in auxiliary processes such as cleaning and drying to ensure that the surface of the workpiece is clean without affecting the subsequent pattern transfer accuracy.

6. Packaging

For some advanced packaging technologies, such as chip-scale packaging (CSP) or three-dimensional stacking, quartz tubes can be used for microchannels or other structural components required in the manufacturing process to provide solutions for efficient heat dissipation.

7. Analytical instruments

Quartz tubes are also often used as key components in analytical instruments, such as mass spectrometers and chromatographic columns, which are essential for detecting and monitoring impurity levels in semiconductor manufacturing processes.

Quartz tubes play an important role in all stages of the semiconductor industry due to their unique physical and chemical properties. From initial crystal growth to final product testing, quartz tubes not only ensure the consistency and reliability of process conditions, but also promote the progress and development of the entire industry.

Luverre Quartz can manufacture customized quartz tubes in various shapes, such as spiral, square, round, with processing including cutting, bending, welding, etc., and available in different colors, such as transparent quartz tubes, opaque quartz tubes, milky white quartz tubes, red quartz tubes, and so on.