Specific Process Knowledge/Thermal Process/Furnace APOX

Apox furnace (D1)

D1 Furnace Apox: positioned in cleanroom ?

The APOX furnace (D1) is a Tempress horizontal furnace for oxidation silicon wafers. This furnace is dedicated production of apox wafers which is a very thick thermal oxide grown at 1150 ^oC. Running a batch of apox wafers (oxide>5µm) can take several weeks.

This furnace is positioned in III-V cleanroom. The furnaces are the cleanest process chambers in the cleanroom. Only new wafers from the box enters this furnace.

Process knowledge

• Oxidation: look at the Oxidation page

Overview of the performance of Apox furnace and some process related parameters

Purpose	Oxidation and annealing	Oxidation: Wet: with bubbler (water steam + N2)
Performance	Film thickness	Wet SiO2: used for layer thickness >5µm
Process parameter range	Process Temperature	1150 oC
	Process pressure	1 atm
	Gas flows	N2:5 sccm
Substrates	Batch size	1-200 4" wafer (or 2" wafers) per run
	Substrate material allowed	Silicon wafers (new from the box)