Silicon wafer cutting for microelectronics and high technology

Silicon is the most important raw material in modern electronics and forms the basis for nearly all semiconductor applications. In the form of high-purity silicon wafers, it serves as a substrate material for microprocessors, sensors, MEMS, and photovoltaic cells.

Thanks to its abundance in the Earth’s crust and its stable physical properties, silicon is the key material for high-precision, scalable manufacturing processes in the semiconductor industry.

Silicon as a Key Raw Material for Wafers, Electronics, and Sensors

What Is Silicon? – A Key Material in Semiconductor Technology

Silicon is a semimetal and one of the most important elements in microelectronics. It combines the properties of metals and nonmetals, making it ideally suited as a semiconductor material.

It occurs in large quantities in the Earth’s crust (approximately 25.8 %) and is processed into a high-purity form for use in the semiconductor industry.

Typical applications of silicon wafers:

  • microelectronics and integrated circuits (ICs)
  • power electronics
  • MEMS and sensor systems
  • photovoltaics/solar cells

Properties of Silicon – Ideal for Wafer Cutting

Electrical and Thermal Properties

  • semiconductor properties with targeted conductivity control
  • high thermal conductivity for efficient heat dissipation
  • thermally stable material structure

Mechanical Properties

  • low thermal expansion
  • crystalline, brittle structure
  • high dimensional stability in wafer form

Technological Relevance

  • base material for micro­electronics
  • key material for MEMS technologies
  • central role in photovoltaics

A selection of silicon and related materials

In addition to silicon wafers, other silicon-based materials are also used in high-tech applications. These expand the range of applications for semiconductor wafers, particularly in high-temperature and power electronics.

  • Silicon (Si)
    Article Examples

    monokristallines Si
    polykristallines Si
    Si-Wafer monokr.

    Material Properties
    • thermal conductivity 150 W/mK
    • electrical insulation (1 x 10 - 6 to 50 Ωm)
    • typ. operating temperature between -40 and 90 °C
    • can be provided with filter/protective layers on one or both sides
    • chemical resistance: little reactive, at very high temperatures influence of various gases transformations possible
    Manufacturer Selection
    • Hemlock Semiconductor Group
    • Wacker Chemie AG
    • Siltronic AG
    • PV Crystalox Solar Silicon GmbH
    Dimensions (Selection)

    Dimensions: Ø 50.8 / 76.2 / 100 / 150 / 200 / 300 mm
    Thickness: 0.12–3.0 mm

    Downloads
    • pdf
      Ceramics Machining
      72 KB

Applications of Silicon Wafers

Silicon wafers and their laser processing—such as cutting—are essential for numerous high-tech industries:

Semiconductor Industry

  • integrated circuits (ICs)
  • wafer-based chip manu­facturing
  • microprocessors

Sensors and
MEMS

  • pressure, acceleration, and motion sensors
  • microelectromechanical systems

Energy and Photovoltaics

  • solar cells
  • power electronic components
laser-cut, laser-drilled, laser-patterned, and laser-marked silicon wafer

Precision Laser Processing of Silicon Wafers

Laser processing of silicon wafers requires the highest precision, as the material is brittle and must meet extremely high purity requirements. Non-contact, thermally controlled laser processes are therefore crucial for consistent results.

To this end, we use high-precision laser processing methods that are specifically designed for semiconductor and wafer processes.

Laser Processes for Silicon Wafers

Advantages of laser processing

  • non-contact processing without mechanical stress
  • minimal heat-affected zones
  • high edge quality and process reliability
  • ideal for high-purity semiconductor structures

Using state-of-the-art laser technologies, we implement high-precision processing methods for silicon wafers—ranging from silicon laser cutting, laser structuring, laser drilling, and laser scribing to wafer dicing. The result is reproducible manufacturing processes, the highest precision, and excellent processing quality for demanding applications in the semiconductor and microelectronics industries.

More info about our materials

The specific data sheets of the individual materials are available on request. The material listing is only a current selection without any claim to completeness. Do you have special requirements? We will be happy to advise you personally on your questions regarding our available materials, services, and technologies.

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