Product Overview

12 inch sapphire wafers are ultra-large diameter single-crystal sapphire substrates manufactured for advanced semiconductor and optoelectronic applications. Compared with traditional 2–6 inch sapphire wafers, 12 inch sapphire wafers significantly improve production efficiency, material utilization, and device uniformity, making them an ideal choice for next-generation LED, power electronics, and advanced packaging technologies.

Our 12 inch sapphire wafers are produced from high-purity Al₂O₃ single crystals grown by advanced crystal growth methods, followed by precision slicing, lapping, polishing, and strict quality inspection. The wafers feature excellent surface flatness, low defect density, and high optical and mechanical stability, meeting the stringent requirements of large-area device fabrication.

Material Characteristics

Sapphire (single-crystal aluminum oxide, Al₂O₃) is well known for its outstanding physical and chemical properties. 12 inch sapphire wafers inherit all the advantages of sapphire material while providing a much larger usable surface area.

Key material characteristics include:

• Extremely high hardness and wear resistance

• Excellent thermal stability and high melting point

• Superior chemical resistance to acids and alkalis

• High optical transparency from UV to IR wavelengths

• Excellent electrical insulation properties

These characteristics make 12 inch sapphire wafers suitable for harsh processing environments and high-temperature semiconductor manufacturing processes.

Manufacturing Process

The production of 12 inch sapphire wafers requires advanced crystal growth and ultra-precision processing technologies. The typical manufacturing process includes:

1. Single Crystal Growth
   High-purity sapphire crystals are grown using advanced methods such as KY or other large-diameter crystal growth technologies, ensuring uniform crystal orientation and low internal stress.

2. Crystal Shaping and Slicing
   The sapphire ingot is precisely shaped and sliced into 12 inch wafers using high-accuracy cutting equipment to minimize subsurface damage.

3. Lapping and Polishing
   Multi-step lapping and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processes are applied to achieve excellent surface roughness, flatness, and thickness uniformity.

4. Cleaning and Inspection
   Each 12 inch sapphire wafer undergoes thorough cleaning and strict inspection, including surface quality, TTV, bow, warp, and defect analysis.

Applications

12 inch sapphire wafers are widely used in advanced and emerging technologies, including:

• High-power and high-brightness LED substrates

• GaN-based power devices and RF devices

• Semiconductor equipment carrier and insulating substrates

• Optical windows and large-area optical components

• Advanced semiconductor packaging and special process carriers

The large diameter enables higher throughput and improved cost efficiency in mass production.

Advantages of 12 Inch Sapphire Wafers

• Larger usable area for higher device output per wafer

• Improved process consistency and uniformity

• Reduced cost per device in high-volume production

• Excellent mechanical strength for large-size handling

• Customizable specifications for different applications

Customization Options

We offer flexible customization for 12 inch sapphire wafers, including:

• Crystal orientation (C-plane, A-plane, R-plane, etc.)

• Thickness and diameter tolerance

• Single-side or double-side polishing

• Edge profile and chamfer design

• Surface roughness and flatness requirements

12 Inch Sapphire Wafer FAQ

Q1: What is the standard thickness of a 12 inch sapphire wafer?
A: The standard thickness ranges from 430 μm to 500 μm. Custom thicknesses can also be produced according to customer requirements.

Q2: What crystal orientations are available for 12 inch sapphire wafers?
A: We offer C-plane (0001), A-plane (11-20), and R-plane (1-102) orientations. Other orientations can be customized based on specific device requirements.

Q3: What is the total thickness variation (TTV) of the wafer?
A: Our 12 inch sapphire wafers typically have a TTV ≤10 μm, ensuring uniformity across the entire wafer surface for high-quality device fabrication.

Related Products

Sapphire Al2O3 Ingots 80KG 200KG 400KG KY Growth Method For Sapphire Component Processing

Sapphire wafer 2inch C-plane(0001) DSP SSP 99,999% Monocrystalline Al2O3 LEDS Semiconductor