Silicon wafers have a wide variety of uses for many different fields. If you’ve never purchased them before, however, you might find yourself at a bit of a loss. What criteria should you use for finding manufacturers and suppliers? How can you tell the difference between good and bad wafers? How can you be sure that you’re getting a good deal?
Here are just a few things to consider when shopping for silicon wafers. This isn’t a complete list, but it will teach you the basics.
Brand
First things first: Which brands are you considering? Some of them will have better products, prices and reputations than others, so you’ll need to do your homework to figure out which ones stand a cut above the rest. Consider making a spreadsheet of different wafer companies with all of their brand data clearly laid out for your perusal.
Work Requirements
Why are you in the market for silicon wafers in the first place? What’s your industry? What kind of work are you doing? The answers to these questions can play a big role in determining the best kinds of wafers for you. Whether you’re thinking about thin silicon wafers or supersized ones, make sure that they’ll be suitable for your typical work project. You don’t want to spend a lot of money on wafers that just go to waste.
Price
Speaking of money, silicon wafers can get expensive, especially when you’re buying them in bulk. You’ll want to have a budget in mind before you go shopping. Remember that the listed price of the wafers won’t be the final price that you pay; you’ll also be responsible for things like shipping and product insurance. Factor all of these expenses into your calculations, and draft a budget that won’t break you.
It can be surprisingly tough to shop for silicon wafers. However, your efforts will be rewarded in the end. When you’re looking at your high-tech, high-quality wafers, you’ll be glad that you went to the trouble of finding the right supplier before handing over your credit card.