Memc Electronic Materials, Inc.

Andrei Stefanescu

Jiri L Vasat

Gregory M Wilson

Thomas A Torack

Thomas M Hanley

A process for manufacturing silicon wafers that reduces the size of silicon wafer surface and/or sub-surface defects without the forming excessive haze. The process entails cleaning the front surface of the silicon wafer at a temperature of at least about 1100&deg; C. by exposing the front surface to a cleaning ambient comprising H , HF gas, or HCl gas to remove silicon oxide from the front surface and exposing the cleaned front surface of the silicon wafer at a temperature of at least about 1100&deg; C. to a vacuum or an annealing ambient consisting essentially of a mono-atomic noble gas selected from the group consisting of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe to facilitate the migration of silicon atoms to the exposed agglomerated defects without substantially etching silicon from the front surface of the heated silicon wafer.

Thermal annealing process for producing silicon wafers with improved surface characteristics

A process for manufacturing polished-like first-grade semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The process greatly simplifies the amount of polishing required while producing high quality semiconductor wafers. After a semiconductor wafer is sliced from a single crystal ingot, lapped and ground, the wafer is subjected to a double side fine grinding operation, a micro-etching operation, and an annealing operation to significantly improve the quality of the front surface. To complete to process the semiconductor wafer is flash polished to impart a specular finish on the front surface. In accordance with the present invention the semiconductor wafers may also be produced having a denuded zone capable of internal gettering.

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O'Fallon, MO, United States of America

Andrei Stefanescu