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Chip Manufacturing · Topic 2 of 16

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Chip ManufacturingLesson 2 of 16

Ingot

Growing a single crystal of silicon into a large cylindrical ingot.

What you’ll learn

  • The Czochralski method
  • Why single-crystal matters
  • What sets ingot diameter

Why it matters

A perfect crystal is the substrate every transistor is built into.

Explanation

In the Czochralski (CZ) process, a seed crystal is dipped into molten silicon and slowly pulled while rotating, growing a single-crystal cylindrical ingot (a boule). Controlled doping can be added to the melt.

A single crystal (no grain boundaries) is essential for uniform, predictable device behaviour. Modern ingots are 300 mm in diameter.

Visual explanation

A seed crystal pulling a growing cylindrical boule up out of a crucible of molten silicon.

Key terminology

Czochralski (CZ)
The main crystal-pulling method.
Boule
The grown single-crystal ingot.
Single crystal
A solid with one continuous crystal lattice.

Example

A 300 mm ingot can be over a metre long and weigh hundreds of kilograms.

Common mistakes

Real-world application

Larger wafers (300 mm, and eventually 450 mm) lower cost per die.

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Wafer

Chip Manufacturing

Slicing and polishing the ingot into mirror-flat wafers.

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