Wafers are used in a wide variety of applications, including the manufacture of semiconductors, solar cells, and batteries.
PI-KEM, working in partnership with Virginia Semiconductors, MTI Corporation, and other suppliers, provides a wide range of wafers including:
- Silicon
- Silicon carbide
- Semiconductor wafers (III-V and II-VI)
- Platinised Silicon
- Ultrathin® wafers
- Silicon on Insulator (SOI)
- Silicon as a substrate
- Glass
Silicon Wafers
Silicon wafers are the foundation of the semiconductor industry, being used to create the chips that power our computers, phones, and other electronic devices.
PI-KEM offers a wide range of silicon wafers with standard wafers available from stock or manufactured to customer specifications.
Options include:
- Grade: Prime, test, reclaim and mechanical
- Diameter: 1” up to 8” as standard
- Thickness: 250um up to 725um
- Type and Dopant: Intrinsic, n-type, p-type
- Orientation: <100>, <110>, <111>
Product Overview
Diameter & Thickness
Standard Wafers
Size Standard Thickness (μm) Tolerance (+/- μm) 1” (25.4mm) 250 15 2” (50.8mm) 275 25 3” (76.2mm) 380 25 4” (100mm) 525 20 5” (125mm) 625 20 6” (150mm) 675 20 8” (200mm) 725 25 Ultrathin® wafers
Specialist thin wafers available in the following specification:
1” diameter down to 10 μm thickness
4” diameter down to 90 μm thickness
6” diameter down to 150μm thick
Custom thicknesses available on request
Type & Dopant
Type Dopant Intrinsic - n-type P - Phosphorous, Sb - Antimony, As - Arsenic p-type B - Boron Heavy P or B doping is also available Resistivity
Crystal Growth Method From To Czochralski (CZ) 1 milliohm-cm 150 ohm-cm Float Zone (FZ) - Up to 10,000 ohm-cm Orientation
Orientation Tolerance <100> Standard +/- 0.5º & Custom up to +/- 0.05º <110> <111> Surface
As Cut Lapped Etched Single Side Polished Double Side Polished On polished surface: Roughness <2Å / Total Thickness Variation (TTV) <1μm
Laser marking available on request
Silicon Carbide
Silicon carbide wafers offer advantages over pure silicon wafers including:
- Wider band gap allowing SiC devices to operate at higher voltage and frequency. This reduces heat generated and increases the efficiency of power conversion
- Higher thermal conductivity giving better heat dissipation and so higher working temperatures
- Chemical inertness so can operate in harsher environments
- Radiation hardness so it is less susceptible to radiation damage than silicon
Options include:
- Diameter: 1” up to 8” as standard
- Polytypes: 4H, 6H
Semiconductor Wafers
Semiconductor wafers are used in the fabrication of integrated circuits (ICs), acting as a foundation for the building of devices. Specific properties of semiconductor wafers include:
- High purity giving more precise control of their electrical properties and essential for the manufacture of high-performance transistors
- Monocrystalline giving consistent electrical properties
- High surface flatness crucial for the precise patterning of circuits and the fabrication of electronic devices
- Tight dimensional tolerances critical for the maintenance of electrical performance across the whole wafer
PI-KEM offers both III-V and II-VI wafers. Other materials can be offered.
Options include:
- Diameter: 1” up to 8” as standard
- Standard Materials: Gallium, Indium, Zinc and Cadmium based materials
Product Overview
III-V Wafers
Name Formula Gallium Arsenide GaAs Gallium Phosphide GaP Indium Phosphide InP Indium Antimonide InSb Indium Arsenide InAs II-VI Wafers
Name Formula Zinc Telluride ZnTe Zinc Selenide ZnSe Cadmium Sulphide CdS Cadmium Telluride CdTe Cadmium Telluride doped with Zinc Cd-Zn-Te
Platinised Silicon
PI-KEM platinised silicon wafers provide a robust and versatile substrate platform for advanced research and device development. Platinised silicon wafers combine high-quality silicon substrates with a thin platinum layer, offering high conductivity, catalytic properties, and thermal and mechanical stability, while retaining the ability to be fabricated using the same processes as silicon wafers.
Applications include:
- Gas sensors
- Photovoltaic cells
- Fuel cells
PI-KEM offer platinised silicon, manufactured to customer specifications
- Diameter: 4” standard, other sizes available
- Standard Layers: Thermal SiO2, TiO2 or Ti Adhesion, Platinum E-Beam
Product Overview
Specification Details Diameter 4" Standard or other sizes available upon request Substrate Boron-doped silicon (standard)
Custom substrate parameters available, or customer-supplied substrates acceptedLayers Thermal SiO2, TiO2 or Ti Adhesion.
Platinum (E-Beam Deposition)
- Standard thickness: ~150 nm
- Optional thickness range: down to ~20 nm
Crystallographic Properties Predominantly (111) platinum texture
Minor (100) components
Well-defined surface structure suitable for reproducible thin-film growth and consistent electrical behaviourElectrical & Thermal Performance Excellent electrical conductivity
High resistance to oxidation and corrosion
Stable under repeated high-temperature processing and annealing cycles
Compatible with aggressive chemical environmentsCustomisation Options Global platinum films or patterned electrode features
Platinum supplied as:- Bottom electrode
- Top electrode
- Combined top and bottom electrode structures
Single-side or double-side platinum coating
Integrated Cr/Au interconnects
Custom wafer diameters, thicknesses, and layer stacks available
Silicon on Insulator (SOI) Wafers
Silicon on Insulator (SOI) wafers are semiconductor wafers that have a thin layer of silicon dioxide (SiO2) insulating material between a top silicon layer and a silicon substrate. This structure provides advantages over silicon wafers, including:
- Reduced parasitic capacitance: Improving speed and power efficiency of transistors
- Improved isolation of transistors
- Increased radiation hardness, protecting transistors from damage
PI-KEM supplies a range of SOI wafers, manufactured to customer specifications.
Product Overview
Specification Details Size As per customer specification Layers Handle, Device, Buried Oxide (BOX) - All layers as per customer specification
Silicon as a Substrate
Silicon is a widely used substrate material in various fields, including electronics, photonics, and biomedicine. Its unique properties, such as its high electrical conductivity, optical transparency, and biocompatibility, make it an ideal material for a wide range of applications.
PI-KEM can offer silicon in forms for use as a substrate. All parts are manufactured to customer specifications.
Form:
- Windows
- Custom components
- Blocks
Germanium single crystal components also available
Type Specifications Windows As per customer drawings Components As per customer drawings Blocks To customer specification including surface roughness & flatness We can also supply Germanium single crystal components
Order Your Wafers with PI-KEM
PI-KEM supplies a range of wafers to support semiconductor, electronics, energy, and photonics research. Working in partnership with leading suppliers like Virginia Semiconductors and MTI Corporation, we offer silicon, silicon carbide, semiconductor (III-V and II-VI), platinised silicon, SOI wafers, and more. Each wafer can be manufactured to your exact specifications.
Whether you need standard sizes, ultrathin® wafers, or custom-engineered substrates, our materials are carefully sourced to ensure purity, consistency, and performance. Our technical team can guide you in selecting the most suitable wafer type, dopant, thickness, or orientation for your project. We also provide access to processing services through our trusted partners.
Ready to order your Wafers?
📞 Call our technical team on 01827 259250
📧 Email sales@pi-kem.co.uk
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