COST-EFFECTIVE, HIGH-VOLUME MOLECULAR-BEAM EPITAXY

Emphasizing the transformation of molecular beam epitaxy from a low-vo lume R&D process to a high-volume, cost-effective commercial productio n technology, this paper overviews the application of the technique to Nle manufacture of epitaxial wafers. A brief description of multiwafe r processing is followed by an in-depth discussion of production-scale MBE operations. Included is routine material characterization, equipm ent calibration, and the utilization of statistical process control. A dditionally, recent developments in epiwafer production are examined; these include improved throughput, reproducibility, and material quali ty.