Halbleiterfertigungstechnologien

Halbleiterfertigung, or semiconductor fabrication, is the industrial process of creating integrated circuits and other microelectronic devices. The process is typically conducted in highly controlled cleanrooms and is divided into front-end processes, which build semiconductor devices on silicon wafers, and back-end processes, which package and test the finished devices.

Wafers are prepared from silicon ingots or recycled wafers; a typical 300 mm wafer is used. The manufacturing sequence includes photolithography to define circuit patterns, ion implantation or diffusion to set dopant profiles, thin-film deposition (such as chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, or atomic layer deposition), etching to remove material, and planarization by chemical-mechanical polishing. Interconnects are created by metallization and interlayer dielectric deposition, followed by annealing and testing.

Process nodes describe technology generations; modern fabs use advanced lithography, including extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography for selected lines. The terms FEOL and BEOL describe the front-end transistor formation and the back-end interconnect steps. Metrology and testing are interwoven to monitor yield and performance throughout fabrication.

Industry structure is characterized by a mix of fabless design companies and integrated device manufacturers. Fabless firms design devices but outsource fabrication to foundries. Supply chain considerations, intellectual property, and the availability of lithography tools influence design choices and production planning.

Environmental and safety aspects include substantial water usage and chemical handling, with strict controls on emissions, waste treatment, and energy consumption. Ongoing trends in Halbleiterfertigung include continued scaling, new materials, improvements in deposition and etching technologies, and advancing 3D integration and packaging.