The influence of crystal orientation on silicon semiconductor processing

Silicon crystallographic orientation effects on semiconductor processing from single crystal growth through completed devices or circuits have been studied. The preferred octahedral crystal habit of silicon provides for stable crystal growth on the {111} plane, but the other low-index planes, {110} and {100}, are becoming more commonly used, in spite of greater difficulty in growth and processing of these crystals. Chemical and physical properties such as etch rates and Young´s modulus are affected by orientation. The effect of crystal orientation on technologies such as diffusion under film (DUF), dielectric isolation, epitaxy, selective etch and epitaxial refill, and simultaneous deposition of single crystal and polycrystal silicon are presented. In addition, orientation effects on processes of oxidation, diffusion, alloying, and scribing are discussed.