Substrate (semiconductor)
Encyclopedia
Substrate is a solid substance (usually a planar
one) onto which a layer of another substance is applied, and to which that second substance adheres. In solid-state electronics, this term refers to a thin slice of material such as silicon
, silicon dioxide
, aluminum oxide, sapphire
, germanium
, gallium arsenide (GaAs), an alloy
of silicon and germanium, or indium phosphide (InP) are used. These serve as the foundation upon which electonic devices such as transistor
s, diode
s, and especially integrated circuits (ICs), are deposited.
Note that a substrate in the field of electronics is either a semiconductor
or an electrical insulator, depending on the fabrication process that is being used. In the cases in which an insulator such as silicon oxide or aluminum oxide is used as the substrate, what happens next is the following. On top of the oxide, a thin layer of semiconducting material, usually pure silicon. Next, using the standard photographic processes repeatedly, transistors and diodes are fabricated in the semiconductor.
The advantages of this (more costly) fabrication process is that the oxide layer can provide superior insulation between adjacent transistors. This process is especially used for electronics which must withstand ionizing radiation
, such as in space exploration
missions through the Van Allen Radiation Belt
s; in military and naval systems which might have to withstand nuclear radiation
; and in instrumentation for nuclear reactor
s.
In the manufacture of ICs, the substrate material is usually formed into or cut out as thin discs called wafer
s, into which the individual electronic devices (transistors, etc.) are etched, deposited, or otherwise fabricated.
Plane
-Physical objects:* Aeroplane or airplane, a fixed-wing aircraft* Plane , a woodworking tool to smooth surfaces* Platanus, a genus of trees with the common name "plane"* Acer pseudoplatanus, a tree species sometimes called "plane"...
one) onto which a layer of another substance is applied, and to which that second substance adheres. In solid-state electronics, this term refers to a thin slice of material such as silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
, silicon dioxide
Silicon dioxide
The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica , is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula '. It has been known for its hardness since antiquity...
, aluminum oxide, sapphire
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
, germanium
Germanium
Germanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ge and atomic number 32. It is a lustrous, hard, grayish-white metalloid in the carbon group, chemically similar to its group neighbors tin and silicon. The isolated element is a semiconductor, with an appearance most similar to elemental silicon....
, gallium arsenide (GaAs), an alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
of silicon and germanium, or indium phosphide (InP) are used. These serve as the foundation upon which electonic devices such as transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
s, diode
Diode
In electronics, a diode is a type of two-terminal electronic component with a nonlinear current–voltage characteristic. A semiconductor diode, the most common type today, is a crystalline piece of semiconductor material connected to two electrical terminals...
s, and especially integrated circuits (ICs), are deposited.
Note that a substrate in the field of electronics is either a semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
or an electrical insulator, depending on the fabrication process that is being used. In the cases in which an insulator such as silicon oxide or aluminum oxide is used as the substrate, what happens next is the following. On top of the oxide, a thin layer of semiconducting material, usually pure silicon. Next, using the standard photographic processes repeatedly, transistors and diodes are fabricated in the semiconductor.
The advantages of this (more costly) fabrication process is that the oxide layer can provide superior insulation between adjacent transistors. This process is especially used for electronics which must withstand ionizing radiation
Ionizing radiation
Ionizing radiation is radiation composed of particles that individually have sufficient energy to remove an electron from an atom or molecule. This ionization produces free radicals, which are atoms or molecules containing unpaired electrons...
, such as in space exploration
Space exploration
Space exploration is the use of space technology to explore outer space. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft....
missions through the Van Allen Radiation Belt
Van Allen radiation belt
The Van Allen radiation belt is a torus of energetic charged particles around Earth, which is held in place by Earth's magnetic field. It is believed that most of the particles that form the belts come from solar wind, and other particles by cosmic rays. It is named after its discoverer, James...
s; in military and naval systems which might have to withstand nuclear radiation
Ionizing radiation
Ionizing radiation is radiation composed of particles that individually have sufficient energy to remove an electron from an atom or molecule. This ionization produces free radicals, which are atoms or molecules containing unpaired electrons...
; and in instrumentation for nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
s.
In the manufacture of ICs, the substrate material is usually formed into or cut out as thin discs called wafer
Wafer (electronics)
A wafer is a thin slice of semiconductor material, such as a silicon crystal, used in the fabrication of integrated circuits and other microdevices...
s, into which the individual electronic devices (transistors, etc.) are etched, deposited, or otherwise fabricated.