‘Semiconductor Manufacturing Process’ Explained | 'All About Semiconductor' by Samsung Semiconductor

Main ideas / lesson conveyed

• Semiconductor manufacturing is an interconnected, multi-step process that turns raw silicon into functional semiconductor chips.
• The overall workflow is:
  • Pre-process / wafer processing (core fabrication steps), then
  • Post-process (testing and packaging).
• Each manufacturing step has a specific role in:
  • preparing the wafer surface,
  • forming circuit patterns layer-by-layer,
  • making the material electrically conductive,
  • creating electrical connections,
  • validating chip quality,
  • and packaging chips into usable components.

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Semiconductor manufacturing process (detailed step-by-step)

1) Starting material: silicon “wafer foundation”

• Silicon source: silicon is extracted from sand (sand → heated → melted high-purity liquid → solidified by crystallization).
• Ingot formation: the solidified result becomes a silicon ingot.
• Wafer slicing: ingots are sliced into thin discs called wafers.
• Polishing: wafer surfaces are polished because surface defects can harm circuit precision.
• Wafer sizing concept: larger wafer diameter generally enables more chips per wafer, so wafer diameters have been increasing.
• Purpose of initial state: sliced wafers are not yet conductive, so they must be made semiconductive.

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2) Wafer makes conductive: oxidation + oxidation film protection

• Oxidation process:
  • Oxygen or water vapor is sprayed on the wafer surface to form a uniform oxide film.
• Functions of the oxide film:
  • Protects the wafer surface during later processes.
  • Blocks current leakage between circuits.
  • Acts as a strong protective shield.

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3) Circuit pattern creation (repeated layer-by-layer)

• Photolithography (blueprint → circuit pattern):

  • A circuit design is transferred onto the wafer.
  • Photo mask acts like the “film” pattern:
    • glass substrate with a computer-designed circuit pattern.
  • Photoresist is applied thinly and evenly over the oxide film.
  • Exposure: light through the photo mask transfers the pattern.
  • Development: a developer removes unexposed/unlit areas.
  • Inspection: after checking whether the pattern is correctly formed, the process continues.

• Etching (remove material to leave only the design):

  • Unnecessary materials are selectively removed.
  • Wet etching: uses liquid chemical solutions.
  • Dry etching: uses gas or plasma.

• Iteration concept:

  • Photolithography + etching are repeated multiple times to build circuits layer-by-layer, forming a complex structure.

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4) Build insulating/protective layers: deposition (thin film coating)

• Thin film coating / deposition:
  • An insulating film is required to separate and protect the circuit stack.
  • Deposition applies a thin film onto the wafer at a molecular/atomic level.
• Key emphasis: deposition requires sophisticated technology to achieve uniform thickness, which affects the semiconductor’s electrical characteristics.

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5) Make silicon electrically conductive: ion implementation

• Ion implantation:
  • Pure silicon is described as not conducting electricity.
  • Impurities are added so the material conducts current.
• Result: the wafer becomes electrically conductive and supports circuit functionality.

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6) Create electrical pathways: metal wiring

• Metal wiring process:
  • Electrical signals need paths following the circuit pattern.
  • This is done by depositing a thin metal film.
  • Example metals mentioned: aluminum, titanium, tungsten.
• Purpose: enable electricity to flow through the semiconductor according to the circuit layout.

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Post-processing steps

7) EDS / testing (sorting good vs defective chips)

• EDS testing step:
  • Testing ensures chips are flawless.
  • Defective chips are sorted out.
• Yield definition:
  • Yield is described as the percentage of “prime” chips relative to the maximum chip count on a single wafer.

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8) Packaging (turn wafer into usable device components)

• Dicing/sawing: the completed wafer is cut into individual semiconductor chips.
• Bonding step on PCB:
  • Chip contact points are connected to substrate/PCB contact points.
• Molding and sealing:
  • Molding finishes the chip package shape.
  • Sealing protects the semiconductor from external elements.
  • Labeling includes product name.
• Final test:
  • Only after final testing does the chip become a finished product.

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Speakers / sources featured (as stated in subtitles)

• No individual speakers are explicitly named in the provided subtitles.
• Source/organization mentioned: Samsung Semiconductor (from the video title).