Technology companies have faced a single challenge since the very beginning of the computer revolution that began around the time of the application of transistor technology to computing, and that’s a reliable supply line. If your business depends on silicon wafers as a raw material for any application or a part destined to wear in your equipment, sourcing those wafers means finding the deal that helps you hold your profit margins. Sometimes, the use of recycling or reclamation technologies can help companies with a high demand for a rare resource. Is that possible here? There are good reasons why some in the industry are skeptical.
Quality Control and Wafer Reclamation
Silicon wafer polishing allows for the reclamation of used silicon wafers through the resurfacing of the wafer. Like the initial manufacture process, it is carried out in a mostly automated facility, under level 10 clean room conditions. Most of the same vendors offering this service also offer newly manufactured items, which speaks to their ability to create and maintain the right clean environment. When this service is available with cost-effective shipping and turnaround times that meet client needs, it represents a way of retaining the original materials and getting more out of them as an investment.
Determining Which Silicone Wafers Can Be Reclaimed
Before resurfacing, all the wafers sent into a processor need to be reviewed for damage and current condition, to ensure they get the right level of attention during the polishing process. This means that if you send in wafers that can not be reclaimed, you should find out promptly. The loss number is usually small, but each batch varies and it is hard to predict exactly when a large number of them will need to be replaced. If you work with a company that supplies quality purchase options as well as polishing services, you’ll be ready to mix replacement and reuse easily.
