Shin-etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.

Shih-etsu Handotal Co., Ltd.

Hiroyuki Takahashi

Kiyoshi Mitani

Hiroji Aga

Kazuhiko Yoshida

Disclosed is a method of forming a thermal oxide film on a silicon single crystal wafer, which includes throwing the silicon single wafer into a heat treatment furnace; elevating temperature of the heat treatment furnace up to a temperature T1 where a thermal oxide film is formed to form a thermal oxide film having a thickness d1; subsequently lowering the temperature of the heat treatment furnace down to a temperature lower than the temperature T1; and thereafter elevating the temperature of the heat treatment furnace up to a temperature T2 higher than the temperature T1 to additionally form a thermal oxide film having a thickness d2 thicker than the thickness d1. Thus, there is provided a thermal oxide film formation method to suppress occurrence of slip dislocation and/or crack of the silicon single wafer during formation of the thermal oxide film.

Thermal oxide film formation method for silicon single crystal wafer

In the process of fabricating an SOI wafer based on the Smart Cut&#xae; Process, a stackof an SOI waferand a residual waferare separated into the individual wafers using a wafer separation jigof this invention. The wafer separation jigcomprises a supporting planeon which the stackis supported in the thickness-wise direction, and a stepped portiondisposed on the supporting plane, and having a height adjusted so as to stop movement-by-sliding of the lower wafer of the stack, but so as to allow movement-by-sliding of the upper wafer relative to the lower wafer. Both wafers are separated from each other by inclining the supporting planewith the stackplaced thereon, so as to allow the upper wafer to move by sliding as being driven by its own weight in the in-plane direction relative to the lower wafer. This method is successful in effectively suppressing friction between the wafers, and thus in preventing the wafer surface from being scratched.

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Chikuma, Japan

Hiroyuki Takahashi