Process for reclaiming semiconductor wafers and reclaimed wafers

1. A process for re-use of a silicon wafer having two major, generally parallel surfaces, one being the front surface of the wafer and the other being the back surface of the wafer, a circumferential edge joining the front and back surfaces, a central axis, a radius extending from the central axis to the circumferential edge of at least about 75 mm, a central plane approximately equidistant between the front and back surfaces, and a precipitate free zone having a thickness of at least 20 micrometers adjacent the front surface, the process comprising:

(a) subjecting the wafer to an oxide growth step to form an oxide layer having a thickness greater than 2 nanometers,

(b) after step (a), thinning the wafer by removing material from substantially the entire front surface to provide a thinned wafer having a thinned precipitate free zone, and

(c) polishing the front surface of the thinned wafer to a specular finish.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the thinned and polished wafer is at least about 10 micrometers thinner than the thickness of the wafer prior to the oxide growth step.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the precipitate free zone, prior to said oxide growth step had a thickness of at least about 30 micrometers.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the thickness of the thinned and polished wafer is at least about 15 micrometers thinner than the thickness of the wafer prior to the oxide growth step.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the precipitate free zone, prior to said oxide growth step had a thickness of at least about 50 micrometers.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the thickness of the thinned and polished wafer is at least about 30 micrometers thinner than the thickness of the wafer prior to the oxide growth step.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the thinned and polished wafer is at least about 15 micrometers thinner than the thickness of the wafer prior to the oxide growth step.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the thinned and polished wafer is at least about 30 micrometers thinner than the thickness of the wafer prior to the oxide growth step.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the precipitate free zone extends from the front surface to the back surface of the wafer.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the thickness of the thinned and polished wafer is at least about 10 micrometers thinner than the thickness of the wafer prior to the oxide growth step.

11. The process of claim 9 wherein the thickness of the thinned and polished wafer is at least about 15 micrometers thinner than the thickness of the wafer prior to the oxide growth step.

12. The process of claim 9 wherein the thickness of the thinned and polished wafer is at least about 30 micrometers thinner than the thickness of the wafer prior to the oxide growth step.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein, prior to said oxidation step, the wafer contained oxygen precipitate nucleation centers between the central plane and the precipitate free zone.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein the wafer further comprises a first axially symmetric region which is substantially free of agglomerated intrinsic point defects.

15. The process of claim 14 wherein the first axially symmetric region is a region in which vacancies are the predominant intrinsic point defect.

16. The process of claim 15 wherein the wafer further comprises a second axially symmetric region in which silicon self-interstitial atoms are the predominant intrinsic point defect and which is substantially free of agglomerated silicon self-interstitial intrinsic point defects.

17. The process of claim 1 wherein the polished wafer is used as a monitor wafer in at least one step of a semiconductor device fabrication process.

18. The process of claim 1 wherein a semiconductor device is formed in the device layer of the polished wafer.

19. The process of claim 1 wherein prior to step (a), the wafer has a non-uniform distribution of crystal lattice vacancies with the peak concentration of vacancies being at a maximum at a distance of at least 20 micrometers from the front surface of the wafer.

20. The process of claim 1 wherein prior to step (a), the wafer has a non-uniform distribution of crystal lattice vacancies with the peak concentration of vacancies being at a maximum at a distance of at least 30 micrometers from the front surface of the wafer.

21. The process of claim 1 wherein prior to step (a), the wafer has a non-uniform distribution of crystal lattice vacancies with the peak concentration of vacancies being at a maximum at a distance of at least 40 micrometers from the front surface of the wafer.

22. The process of claim 1 wherein prior to step (a), the wafer has a non-uniform distribution of crystal lattice vacancies with the peak concentration of vacancies being at a maximum at a distance of at least 50 micrometers from the front surface of the wafer.

23. The process of claim 1 wherein the wafer has a concentration of oxygen which is less than 9 PPMA.

24. The process of claim 1 wherein the wafer has a concentration of oxygen which is less than 8 PPMA.

25. The process of claim 1 wherein an oxide layer having a thickness of at least 3 nanometers is grown on the front surface of the wafer in step (a).

26. The process of claim 1 wherein an oxide layer having a thickness of at least 25 nanometers is grown on the front surface of the wafer in step (a).

27. The process of claim 1 wherein an oxide layer having a thickness of at least 50 nanometers is grown on the front surface of the wafer in step (a).