Ever wonder what a bunny suit has in common with the semiconductor industry? Not quite sure what all the buzzwords over the website mean?
No worries, you are not alone!
Like most subjects, semiconductor science requires a certain vocabulary to build understanding and communicate clearly. It’s not rocket science (obviously, but you do need semiconductor knowledge to do rocket science…), which means you can learn the basics with a little time and effort. Below we compiled a glossary filled with most of the commonly used terms in our industry you need to sound smart. Just the basics and the facts.
A
Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD)
Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is a vapor-phase thin film deposition technique based on sequential, self-limiting surface reactions. It enables sub-nanometer thickness control and highly conformal coatings, even on structures with extreme aspect ratios. ALD is particularly advantageous for applications requiring conformality over high–aspect-ratio features. Process control focuses on precursor dosing, purge efficiency, temperature window (ALD window), and surface chemistry to avoid parasitic CVD reactions.
B
Bunny suit
The protective clothing worn by workers in a clean room; serves a crucial role in preserving the pristine conditions. These suits, which make people appear like oversized rabbits, are designed to keep contamination out of the clean room - even tiny particles or microbes can have a significant impact on sensitive processes and products.
The protective suit, therefore, does not protect the person wearing it, but rather protects his/her environment!
C
Capacitor
A passive electrical component that is capable of storing electrical charges. The corresponding physical property is called capacitance, which indicates how much electrical charge can be stored for a given applied voltage. The capacitor provides a reactive component that can be used to adjust the impedance of an electrical network, allowing for maximum power transfer between the power source and the load.
Vacuum capacitors are one of the most critical components in a RF impedance matching network. They can be fixed to one value or variable over a defined capacitance range.
CE! (Copy exact)
A policy requiring all manufacturing process steps that might affect form, fit, or function of raw material, semi-finished product, or finished product to remain fixed and unchanged without explicit customer notification and approval. This is a semiconductor industry-wide standard that ensures that customers always receive consistent product performance.
Clean room
A highly controlled and sterile facility where air quality, temperature, humidity and other environmental factors are tightly regulated to minimize the risk of contamination. A clean room is commonly used in the production of microprocessors, memory chips and electronic components, where it plays a critical role in ensuring the reliability and performance of modern technology.
Conductor
A material or substance through which electric current flows easily. Typically, metals such as copper, aluminum, silver, and gold are good electrical conductors. They are an essential component in the production of electronic devices and play a critical role in their performance and reliability.
D
Deposition
The process of applying a thin layer of material onto the surface of a wafer.. These materials can be either conducting (metallic) or dielectric (insulating), serving specific electrical purposes. Deposition techniques vary, with common methods including Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD), Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), Sputtering, and Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD); ALD operates at an atomic scale.
Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE)
Deep Reactive Ion Etching is an anisotropic plasma etching technique optimized for the fabrication of high–aspect-ratio structures in silicon. It enables the realization of deep trenches and vias with minimal lateral etching, making it a key process in MEMS, TSV formation, and advanced wafer-level integration.
Dry etching
Dry etching refers to a class of material removal techniques that use gas-phase processes—typically plasmas—to etch thin films and substrates in a controlled and anisotropic manner. It is the dominant approach in modern micro- and nanofabrication due to its ability to achieve high resolution and precise profile control. In dry etching, reactive gases are introduced into a vacuum chamber and activated by an energy source (commonly RF power) to form plasma. The resulting species — ions and neutral radicals—interact with the surface through a combination of chemical reactions and physical ion bombardment. This synergy enables directional (anisotropic) etching with high pattern fidelity.
E
Etch
The process of selectively removing the unwanted material from the surface of a wafer to create desired features or patterns is known as etching. Conductor Etch involves the removal of conducting (metallic) material, while Dielectric Etch entails eliminating dielectric (insulating) material. Higher energy and hence higher RF power is needed to break the strong atomic bond between dielectric material.
Among the prevalent methods is Plasma Etch, which addresses industry challenges such as poor selectivity, surface roughness, and aspect ratio dependency, particularly in creating High Aspect Ratio (HAR) features like Through Silicon Vias (TSVs). Atomic Layer Etch (ALE) operates at the atomic scale and is a cutting-edge technology utilized for crafting intricate 3D features such as Gate All Around (GAA) in FinFET transistors.
F
Flat Panel Display (FPD)
A device that uses small, thin pieces of electronic visual display technology to produce images on a screen. FPDs are typically used in monitors, televisions, smartphones, and tablets.
Front-end
The first of two main phases of the semiconductor manufacturing process, the other being the back-end.
The front-end phase includes several process steps, including wafer preparation, oxidation, deposition, photolithography, etching, doping, ion implantation, annealing, and polishing. Each process step may be repeated multiple times during the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). These detailed front-end process steps are essential for manufacturing high-quality semiconductor devices.
G
Generator
Provides a reliable and stable source of electrical power to semiconductor manufacturing equipment, which requires a constant and precise supply of electrical power to operate correctly and produce high-quality semiconductor products.
RF generators are typically used in conjunction with impedance matching networks and filters. The output power of an RF generator can range from a few milliwatts to several kilowatts, depending on the application.
I
Impedance matching network
A circuit that is used to match the impedance of a source to the impedance of a transmission line or a load. Its purpose is to maximize the transfer of power between source and load while minimizing the reflection of power back to the source.
Matching networks are commonly used in RF and microwave circuits, where the impedance of the source and load can vary widely depending on the frequency of the signal and/or conditions of the target plasma chamber. The design of an impedance matching network depends on the specific requirements of the circuit, such as the frequency range, power level, voltage rating, current rating, and impedance of the source and load.
The reactive element that allows to match the impedance is often one or more variable capacitors and because of the high electric powers involved in many applications, variable vacuum capacitors are the favorite reactive elements for reliable impedance matching networks used in modern semiconductor manufacturing processes.
Integrated circuit (see also Microchip)
A small electronic device made up of a semiconductor material, such as silicon. An integrated circuit contains numerous functional electronic components, such as transistors, diodes, resistors, and capacitors. These components are interconnected on a single piece of semiconductor material, which is usually a small chip on a larger wafer.
M
MEMS
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) devices are miniaturized mechanical and electro-mechanical elements that are integrated with electronics on a semiconductor chip. The physical dimension of a MEMS can range from several millimeters to less than one micrometer, which is many times smaller than the width of a human hair.
Microchip (see also Integrated circuit)
A small electronic device made up of a semiconductor material, such as silicon. An integrated circuit contains numerous functional electronic components, such as transistors, diodes, resistors, and capacitors. These components are interconnected on a single piece of semiconductor material, which is usually a small chip on a larger wafer.
Moore's law
States that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit (microchip) doubles every two years, leading to an exponential increase of computing power and decrease in cost per transistor. The law is based on a 1965 observation by Gordon Moore.
N
NAND / 3D NAND
A non-volatile flash memory technology used in electronic devices such as smartphones, solid-state drives (SSDs), and USB drives. It is called "non-volatile" because it retains data even when the power is turned off. 3D NAND is a memory architecture in which NAND memory cells are stacked vertically to increase storage density.
NAND / 3D NAND
A unit of measurement equivalent to one billionth of a meter. It is typically used in the semiconductor industry to measure the (critical) dimensions of transistors.
O
OEM
An Original Equipment Manufacturer is a company that produces components or products for other companies to use for their end products. An OEM ensures that its products operate reliably, safely, and according to design specifications, as well as adhere to government and industry standards. In the semiconductor industry, an OEM is usually an equipment maker.
P
Photovoltaics (PV)
Photovoltaics (PV) refers to the technology and underlying physical processes by which light is directly converted into electrical energy using semiconductor materials. At the core of photovoltaics is the p–n junction in a semiconductor (most commonly silicon). When photons with sufficient energy are absorbed, they generate electron–hole pairs. The built-in electric field at the junction separates these charge carriers, driving electrons and holes toward opposite contacts and producing power when the circuit is closed.
Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD)
Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) is a vacuum-based thin film deposition technique in which material is physically transferred from a solid source to a substrate through vaporization and subsequent condensation. It is widely used in semiconductor and MEMS fabrication for depositing metals and some dielectric layers with high purity and controlled thickness. In PVD, the source material is vaporized either by thermal evaporation (resistive or electron-beam heating) or by sputtering, where energetic ions—typically from an inert plasma such as argon—eject atoms from a target. These atoms travel through the vacuum environment and condense on the substrate, forming a thin film.
Plasma
Plasma is the 4th state of matter; the others are solid, liquid, and gas. Plasma consists of ions, electrons, and radicals. While the sun represents the largest natural source of plasma, in semiconductor manufacturing, plasma is generated within plasma chambers using a wide range of gases, including nitrogen, argon, and chlorine. Those gases are excited into the plasma state via various energy sources, including high DC voltage, microwave, and radio frequency (RF).
Plasma chamber
Plasma is generated within specialized plasma chambers, which are tailored for deposition or etching processes. These chambers are constructed from materials inert to the process harbored and are primarily made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel or ceramic.
Several components are integral to plasma generation. The RF generator supplies RF power to ionize the gasses. Maintaining precise control of the plasma within the chamber is crucial for optimizing the performance of individual chips across each wafer.
Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD)
Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) is a thin film deposition technique that utilizes plasma to activate chemical reactions of precursor gases at relatively low substrate temperatures. It is widely used for depositing dielectric and passivation layers in semiconductor and MEMS fabrication.
In PECVD, reactive gases (e.g., silane, ammonia, oxygen) are introduced into a vacuum chamber where an RF electric field generates plasma. The plasma dissociates the gas molecules into reactive species (radicals and ions), enabling film formation on the substrate surface at temperatures typically between ~100 °C and 400 °C—significantly lower than in thermal CVD.
Plasma etching
Plasma etching is a dry etching technique in which reactive species generated in plasma are used to remove material from a substrate with high precision. It is a core process in semiconductor and MEMS fabrication, enabling controlled pattern transfer from lithographic masks into underlying layers. In plasma etching, process gases are ionized under low-pressure conditions using RF power, forming a mixture of ions, radicals, and electrons. Material removal occurs through a combination of chemical reactions (via neutral radicals) and physical sputtering (via ion bombardment), with the balance between these mechanisms determining etch characteristics.
R
RF drying
RF drying (radio-frequency drying) is a dielectric drying technique in which electromagnetic fields—typically in the MHz range—are used to volumetrically heat and remove moisture from materials. This process is more common in industries such as textiles, wood processing, and food. The process relies on dielectric heating: polar molecules (primarily water) attempt to align with the alternating electric field, resulting in internal energy dissipation and uniform heating throughout the material volume. This contrasts with conventional thermal drying, where heat transfer is surface-driven.
S
Semiconductor
A material possessing the unique ability to transition between conducting and insulating states, unlike a pure conductor or insulator. Typical semiconductors are silicon, germanium, and gallium arsenide (a compound semiconductor).
A semiconductor can alter its state between conductor and insulator to allow ON/OFF switching.
By doping the semiconductor, that is by intentionally adding a few impurity atoms with excess electrons (n-doping), or with fewer electrons (p-doping) than the undoped semiconductor, the semiconductor can be brought into a conducting state due to the resulting change in charge carrier mobility within the now doped semiconductor.
Silicon
A chemical element (Si) with an atomic number of 14 (i.e., 14 electrons). Its significance lies not in its scarcity but in its abundance; silicon ranks second only to oxygen in the Earth's crust. Silicon’s semiconductor properties set it apart. Unlike purely conducting or insulating materials, semiconductors possess the unique ability to transition between conducting and insulating states. This characteristic is pivotal in the development of transistors and the fundamental basis of binary code, enabling the representation of 0s and 1s.
Solar wafers
Solar wafers are silicon-based semiconductor substrates specifically engineered for photovoltaic (PV) applications, forming the basis of solar cells that convert light into electrical energy. They are typically fabricated from monocrystalline (Cz-grown) or multicrystalline silicon ingots, followed by wire sawing into wafers with thicknesses commonly in the 120–180 µm range. Monocrystalline wafers provide superior electronic properties (higher minority carrier lifetime, lower defect density), whereas multicrystalline wafers offer cost advantages.
T
Technology node
Refers to a specific manufacturing process and its design rules to create integrated circuits (ICs) or chips. Different nodes mean different circuit generations and architectures and are typically expressed in nanometers (nm).
Thin films
Thin films are layers of material ranging from a few nanometers to several micrometers in thickness, deposited onto a substrate—typically a semiconductor wafer—to impart specific electrical, optical, mechanical, or chemical properties. In microfabrication, thin films are engineered with tight control over thickness, composition, stress, and uniformity. Their properties are strongly influenced by deposition conditions, microstructure, and interface quality. Deposition techniques are broadly categorized into physical vapor deposition (PVD)—such as sputtering and evaporation—and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), including LPCVD and PECVD. More advanced methods like atomic layer deposition (ALD) are used when angstrom-level thickness control and conformality over high–aspect-ratio structures are required.
Thin film deposition
The depositing of a thin layer of material onto a substrate, typically a semiconductor wafer, using various deposition methods including Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD), Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), and Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). These methods yield material thickness ranging from a few nanometers to several microns.
Through-Silicon Via (TSV)
A Through-Silicon Via (TSV) is a vertical electrical connection that passes through a silicon wafer. Instead of routing signals only along the surface (like in traditional chips), TSVs connect different layers vertically.
V
Variable capacitance
Variable capacitance refers to the ability of a system or device to exhibit a capacitance that changes as a function of external conditions or design parameters. It is a key concept in both electronic components and microsystems, where capacitance is not fixed but tunable. In its simplest form, capacitance depends on geometry and material properties—specifically electrode area, separation distance, and dielectric permittivity. Variable capacitance is therefore achieved by modifying one or more of these parameters, either mechanically or electrically.
Common implementations include mechanical variable capacitors (e.g., changing plate overlap or gap), varactor diodes (where capacitance varies with applied voltage via depletion region width), and MEMS capacitors, where micro-scale structures enable dynamic tuning through electrostatic actuation.
W
Wafer
A thin circular slice of semiconductor material, usually made of silicon, which serves as the substrate for the fabrication of integrated circuits (ICs) and other microelectronic devices. A wafer is around 0.7 mm to 0.9 mm in thickness and is defined by its diameter. The most common wafer diameter is 300 mm.