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An account of how steamer technology—as opposed to the pyrolytic torch—for the MEMS manufacturer’s operation can eliminate hydrogen in thermal oxidation and increase growth rate, uniformity, and reliability

Abstract
Thermal oxidation of silicon is an important process step in MEMS device fabrication. Thicker oxide layers are often used as structural components and can take days or weeks to grow, resulting in high gas costs, maintenance issues, and a process bottleneck.

Pyrolytic steam, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen combustion, has been the default process, but has serious drawbacks: cost, safety, particles, permitting, reduced growth rate, rapid hydrogen consumption, component breakdown and limited steam flow rates.

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