The wafer manufacturing process includes two key steps: SiC substrate and epitaxy. The SiC substrate serves as the foundational material for semiconductor devices, such as silicon (Si) wafers, determining their structure and basic characteristics while providing a smooth base surface.

So, what is epitaxy? Simply put, epitaxy is the process of growing a new single crystal layer on a finely processed (cutting, grinding, polishing, etc.) single crystal substrate, such as a SiC substrate. This new layer can be of the same material as the substrate or a different material, allowing for homogeneous or heterogeneous epitaxy as needed. Since the newly grown crystal layer expands according to the SiC substrate's crystal phase, it is called the epitaxial layer. Typically only a few micrometers thick, for silicon, epitaxial growth means growing a layer of single crystal silicon with specific crystal orientations, resistivity, and controllable thickness on a SiC substrate. When the epitaxial layer grows on the SiC substrate, the entire structure is referred to as an epitaxial wafer.

What is the significance of epitaxy? For the traditional silicon semiconductor industry, directly fabricating high-frequency and high-power devices on SiC substrates faces technical challenges such as high breakdown voltage in the collector region, low series resistance, and low saturation voltage, which are difficult to achieve. The introduction of epitaxy cleverly solves these issues. The method involves growing a high-resistivity epitaxial layer on a SiC substrate, and then fabricating devices on this high-resistivity epitaxial layer. This way, the high-resistivity epitaxial layer provides high breakdown voltage for the devices, while the SiC substrate reduces the substrate's resistance, thereby reducing saturation voltage, achieving a balance between high breakdown voltage and low resistance and voltage drop.

Furthermore, epitaxial technologies such as gas phase epitaxy, liquid phase epitaxy, and others for III-V, II-VI group materials, and other compound semiconductor materials have also made significant advancements. They have become indispensable in the fabrication of most microwave devices, optoelectronic devices, power devices, especially the successful applications of molecular beam epitaxy and metal organic gas phase epitaxy in thin films, superlattices, quantum wells, strained superlattices, and atomic layer epitaxy have laid a solid foundation for the exploration of the new field of "bandgap engineering" in semiconductor research.

In summary, epitaxy (Epitaxy) as a crucial technology in semiconductor preparation has significant importance: it precisely controls material properties, improves crystal quality and integrity, enables multi-level, multifunctional device design, enhances device performance and efficiency, and achieves heterogeneous integration. These functions make epitaxy technology an indispensable part of semiconductor device manufacturing, providing critical support for the high performance and multifunctionality of modern electronic devices.

JXT technology is dedicated to providing high-quality SiC substrates and epitaxial wafers, offering a reliable material foundation for semiconductor device manufacturing and research. Our SiC substrate products ensure smooth surfaces, free of impurities, meeting high-preparation standards. Moreover, with advanced epitaxial technology and equipment, we can customize epitaxial layers of various material compositions, thicknesses, and structures on SiC substrates to meet specific device design and performance requirements. Whether for SiC-based optoelectronic devices, integrated circuits, or power devices, JXT technology can provide you with high-quality, reliable SiC substrates and epitaxial wafers, helping your projects succeed.