Silicon Dioxide (SiO₂) – Supplier & Manufacturer in USA

Silicon Dioxide, SiO₂

Silicon dioxide (SiO2) is the archetypal amorphous dielectric oxide, supplied by Infinita Materials as a high-purity sputtering target for depositing insulating, optical, and passivation films by physical vapour deposition. Fabricated from fused or vitreous silica with tightly controlled density and low metallic and hydroxyl content, these targets are engineered for stable, low-particulate RF sputtering. They serve as a direct source for stoichiometric SiO2 thin films without the need for reactive oxygen chemistry.

Purity (%) :	>99.9
Dimensions :	Dia. 1”, Thick. 0.125” Dia. 2”, Thick. 0.25”

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Introduction to Silicon Dioxide

Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) forms a continuous network of SiO₄ tetrahedra and commonly exists as amorphous fused silica or crystalline quartz. It is a wide-bandgap (~9 eV), electrically insulating material with excellent optical transparency, chemical durability, low intrinsic stress, and high thermal stability. Because SiO₂ is insulating, direct deposition from ceramic targets typically uses RF magnetron sputtering to prevent target charging and arcing. Ceramic SiO₂ targets provide precise control over film stoichiometry, refractive index, and stress compared with reactive silicon sputtering. Sputtered SiO₂ films are widely used in semiconductor, optical, display, and photovoltaic applications as interlayer dielectrics, protective and antireflective coatings, diffusion barriers, and electrical insulation layers.

FAQs

Question: How is Silicon Dioxide used in sputtering targets?

Answer: SiO₂ sputtering targets are employed to deposit thin films with excellent insulating and optical properties, essential in microelectronics, optics, and photovoltaics.

Question: Why is SiO₂ crucial in the semiconductor industry?

Answer: Its high dielectric strength, thermal stability, and chemical inertness make SiO₂ indispensable as an insulator and gate dielectric in semiconductor devices.

Question: What makes SiO₂ suitable for optical coatings?

Answer: SiO₂’s transparency across a wide spectral range and its durability under environmental stress make it ideal for anti-reflective and protective coatings.

Question: Is SiO₂ thermally conductive?

Answer: SiO₂ has a low thermal conductivity of ~1.4 W/(m·K), but it provides excellent thermal insulation, beneficial for specific electronic and optical applications.

Question: Why is SiO₂ used in solar cells?

Answer: SiO₂ layers reduce surface reflection and enhance light absorption, significantly improving the efficiency of photovoltaic devices.

Introduction to Silicon Dioxide

Property	Value	Significance
Chemical formula / molar mass	SiO2, ~60.08 g/mol	Defines stoichiometric target composition for consistent film chemistry
Crystal structure	Amorphous (fused/vitreous silica) or crystalline (alpha-quartz)	Amorphous targets yield isotropic, pinhole-free dielectric films
Density	~2.20 g/cm3 (fused silica); ~2.65 g/cm3 (crystalline quartz)	Higher-density, low-porosity targets improve sputter uniformity and reduce particulate generation
Melting/softening point	~1650-1713 C	High thermal stability supports sustained magnetron operation without target degradation
Band gap	~9 eV (wide-bandgap insulator)	Provides excellent electrical isolation and broadband optical transparency in deposited films
Electrical resistivity	>10^14 ohm-cm (insulating)	Requires RF or pulsed sputtering; incompatible with standard DC sputtering
Refractive index	~1.46 at 589 nm	Enables precise optical stack design for antireflective and interference coatings
Thermal conductivity	~1.4 W/(m-K)	Low thermal conductivity requires controlled power ramp-up to avoid thermal-shock cracking.

Property

Value

Significance

Chemical formula / molar mass

SiO2, ~60.08 g/mol

Defines stoichiometric target composition for consistent film chemistry

Crystal structure

Amorphous (fused/vitreous silica) or crystalline (alpha-quartz)

Amorphous targets yield isotropic, pinhole-free dielectric films

Density

~2.20 g/cm3 (fused silica); ~2.65 g/cm3 (crystalline quartz)

Higher-density, low-porosity targets improve sputter uniformity and reduce particulate generation

Melting/softening point

~1650-1713 C

High thermal stability supports sustained magnetron operation without target degradation

Band gap

~9 eV (wide-bandgap insulator)

Provides excellent electrical isolation and broadband optical transparency in deposited films

Electrical resistivity

>10^14 ohm-cm (insulating)

Requires RF or pulsed sputtering; incompatible with standard DC sputtering

Refractive index

~1.46 at 589 nm

Enables precise optical stack design for antireflective and interference coatings

Thermal conductivity

~1.4 W/(m-K)

Low thermal conductivity requires controlled power ramp-up to avoid thermal-shock cracking.

Grade / Form	Typical Purity	Key Features / Uses
Standard catalogue disc (IN-Si-01 / IN-Si-02)	>99.9%	1 in and 2 in stock diameters for R&D and small-chamber lab systems
High-purity optical grade	99.99% – 99.999%	Low metallic and hydroxyl (OH-) content for low-loss optical and photonics coatings
Large-format / custom planar targets	99.9% – 99.99%	Diameters to 8 in or rectangular plates sized for production-scale coaters
Rotary/cylindrical targets	99.9% – 99.99%	High material utilisation for continuous architectural glass and web coating lines
Bonded target assemblies	99.9% – 99.999%	Indium, elastomer, or conductive-adhesive bonding to copper backing plates for magnetron cathode compatibility

Grade / Form

Typical Purity

Key Features / Uses

Standard catalogue disc (IN-Si-01 / IN-Si-02)

>99.9%

1 in and 2 in stock diameters for R&D and small-chamber lab systems

High-purity optical grade

99.99% – 99.999%

Low metallic and hydroxyl (OH-) content for low-loss optical and photonics coatings

Large-format / custom planar targets

99.9% – 99.99%

Diameters to 8 in or rectangular plates sized for production-scale coaters

Rotary/cylindrical targets

99.9% – 99.99%

High material utilisation for continuous architectural glass and web coating lines

Bonded target assemblies

99.9% – 99.999%

Indium, elastomer, or conductive-adhesive bonding to copper backing plates for magnetron cathode compatibility

Industry	Application	Function
Semiconductor	Interlayer and gate dielectric films	Electrical isolation between conductive layers and transistor gate insulation
Optics and photonics	Antireflective and optical interference coatings	Precise low-index layer for broadband transmission and reflectance control
Flat-panel display	Passivation and barrier layers on TFT-LCD and OLED substrates	Moisture and ion diffusion barrier protecting active device layers
Photovoltaics	Antireflective coatings on solar cells	Reduces surface reflectance to increase light absorption and cell efficiency
Architectural and automotive glass	Low-emissivity and protective overcoats	Durable, optically clear layer improving weathering and thermal performance
MEMS and sensors	Insulating and sacrificial layers	Electrical isolation and process-compatible structural or release layer

Industry

Application

Function

Semiconductor

Interlayer and gate dielectric films

Electrical isolation between conductive layers and transistor gate insulation

Optics and photonics

Antireflective and optical interference coatings

Precise low-index layer for broadband transmission and reflectance control

Flat-panel display

Passivation and barrier layers on TFT-LCD and OLED substrates

Moisture and ion diffusion barrier protecting active device layers