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Fascinating Facts About Silicon Wafers!

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Silicon wafers are utilized in various electronic gadgets, including cell phones, computers, and televisions. Silicon, the second-most plentiful element on the earth and the seventh-richest element in the universe makes up the integrated circuits themselves. An element of this kind is a great source of material for various types of technology and commonplace items because it is so adaptable and flexible in terms of availability. Even though it may seem uninteresting, some fascinating facts reveal the true nature of silicon wafers. 

  • Semiconductors are another name for silicon wafers. They are mixtures of metals and insulators that either conduct electricity or do not. These semiconductors, however, do not exclusively rely on silicon. Germanium, Indium Phosphide, Sapphire, and Quartz are additional elements. With the rise in demand for silicon wafers, wafer handling tools are also in demand.   
  • Silicon wafers are present in a huge range of diameters. The first semiconductor wafer was only 1 inch in diameter and was created in the United States in 1960. Standard wafer sizes have increased to 18 inches in the current era from 12 inches.  
  • Compared to all other nations, the United States has a 51% global share of the Silicon Wafer market. This is due to the fact that the US economy is significantly more developed and industrialized than competing foreign factories. Then, for further branding, silicon wafers are shipped all across the world to nations like Japan, Germany, and Russia.  
  • Using repeating applications of simplifying technology, silicon wafers used in integrated circuits must be simplified to a dominating and higher “nines” purity (%99.9999).  
  • It is fascinating to learn how silicon wafers are created. For complete purity, it is melted and resolidified. The oldest techniques for silicon purification firmly include crushing metallurgical grade silicon before dissolving it in acid. The impurity-defined silicon acquires its impartiality and becomes purer as a result.  
  • In order to create silicon, which is the element semiconductor wafers are constructed of, Swedish chemist Jacob Berzelius heated potassium chips enclosed in silica flasks before carefully washing away any remaining by-products. In the modern, scientifically advanced world, silicon is created by heating sand and carbon to a temperature of 2200 degrees Celsius.  
  • The main ingredient in the production of silicon wafers is water. It is a chemical that serves as an all-purpose solvent for several materials, including silicon.  
  • To supply silicon wafers, industries spend about $1 billion on water. The reduction, recycling, and reuse of water in manufacturing facilities and power plants alone provide a compelling argument for why the semiconductor industry truly stands out as one of the best and most lucrative industries in the corporate hierarchy.  
  • Because silicon is the most resilient and performs well in harsh environments, notably inside processing units, and mobile devices, it is utilized in semiconductor wafers in technologies used all over the world. With the continuous rise in silicon wafers, the demand for wafer automation solutions also increases.   
  • In the generation of computers still in use in the present era, silicon wafers are a part of the integrated circuit's life span. Although integrated circuits have replaced the outdated and clunky vacuum tubes that were created and employed 50 years ago, there are still considerably more dependable and small alternatives.  
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