Cost-effective challenges of 300 mm silicon wafers

Despite the industry's false start toward converting to 300 mm wafers in the mid-1990s, the technology development needed has proceeded so that adequate 300 mm wafers are available today. The uniqueness here is that such development was not afforded the luxury of being funded by a surge in 200 mm-wafer production during the recent downturn. Today, the remaining issues for 300 mm production involve making the crystal-pulling technology more cost-effective and resolving ownership issues associated with this wafer size's unique front-opening shipping box. For the former, some relief is being found in epitaxial deposition technology.