Silicon-processing technology important developments

Photovoltaic cells are currently manufactured using silicon processing technologies, and novel approaches are in development using polymers and nanostructures. By achieving cost reductions, photovoltaics are expected to take an important role in macro power generation. They can also be used as micro power sources, as long as the power and size meet the needs of the application. 

In recent development of the semiconductor industries, thermal oxide film thickness of less than 5 nm has been used in semiconductor devices such as metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures. Thickness of less than 5 nm is almost near the thickness of a native oxide film on the surface of silicon wafer. Therefore the characterization of ultra thin native oxide film is important in the semiconductor process technology. The secondary electron microscopy (SEM), the scanning Auger electron microscopy (SAM), the atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) might be the useful characterization method for the surface of the silicon wafers. 

An important and interesting alternative to silicon micromechanics is tire so-called LIGA (German abbreviation of tire tlrree major process steps, see bellow) process. It was initially developed at the Institute of Microstructure Technology of tire Research Center in Karlsruhe. Genrrany. In this techrrique, the material used is... 

In the commercial semiconductor world of silicon (Si) devices, great importance is attached to diffusion and ion implantation. These processes play a key role in the local doping performance through windows in a thermally grown oxide film. Because the diffusion coefficients for most dopants in silicon carbide (SiC) are negligible, at temperatures below 1800°C, the development of ion implantation into SiC for microelectronic technology is of major importance. 

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