Feature: T&M


100% fault detection in SiC


crystal growth By Hari Polu, President, OKOS


T


oday, silicon carbide (SiC) crystals are crucial in the manufacture of smaller, faster, more-efficient ICs and power electronics systems. To meet their


growing adoption, the semiconductor industry needs much higher yields at higher quality. But, without advanced metrology tools capable of promptly detecting minor flaws, the SiC crystal growing sector essentially operates blindly, resulting in unacceptable defects and costly product losses. Tere is great complexity and secrecy in


growing quality SiC crystals, and production is time-consuming. Growing a single crystal ingot, known as a boule, can take a few weeks. Te process includes the “seed” powder stage, which requires specialist equipment and certain temperatures and hot zones to transfer the powder in gaseous form to the boule. High-purity SiC powder suppliers must ensure the reliability of their product; crystal growers can’t risk weeks of work resulting in flawed products; and semiconductor manufacturers must avoid


28 June 2024 www.electronicsworld.co.uk


SAM does rapid 100% inspection in the production of SiC crystal growth


slicing boules into defective wafers used to create advanced chips, EVs and electronics.


Highly promising SiC is considered a highly promising material for electronic devices that require high- temperature, high-frequency and high-power operation. Nevertheless, bringing SiC-based


electronic devices to market is fraught with challenges, mostly due to various defects during the SiC crystals’ growth. Localised disruptions in the structural uniformity regularly occur, causing crystal stacking faults and dislocations, which in turn impact IC functionality. To increase the yield and reliability


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