LPCVD low-stress silicon nitride wafers deposited at Rogue Valley Microdevices
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LPCVD Silicon Nitride Deposition for MEMS and Sensor Devices

LPCVD silicon nitride is one of the most versatile thin films in MEMS fabrication, serving as a structural layer, a passivation layer, an etch mask, and a reliable dielectric. At Rogue Valley Microdevices, we deposit high-quality LPCVD silicon nitride on your wafers using the same production furnaces that support our U.S.-based MEMS foundry, giving you fab-grade films with the stress control your design demands.

Silicon nitride deposition is part of our complete wafer services offering, backed by engineers with decades of experience developing and optimizing LPCVD nitride films. Its tensile stress, mechanical strength, and excellent dielectric properties also make LPCVD nitride valuable for balancing film stress within multilayer thin-film stacks.

Request a quote for deposition on your wafers, or browse ready-to-ship silicon nitride wafers in our online shop.

LPCVD Silicon Nitride Film Options

We offer three qualified LPCVD nitride films, each deposited for consistent thin-film performance and excellent wafer-level uniformity. Films deposit on both sides of the wafer:

Film ClassTensile StressMaximum ThicknessPrimary Applications
Stoichiometric nitride≥800 MPa4500ÅDielectric isolation, chemical passivation, hard etch masking
Low-stress nitride<250 MPa2µmStress-matched structural layers, microfluidics, thin-film membranes
Super-low-stress nitride<100 MPa2µmSensitive MEMS membranes, cantilevers, low-loss photonics

Not sure which film fits your device? Our engineers help you select the right combination of stress and thickness for membranes, cantilevers, hard masks, and multilayer stacks, and advise on how the nitride integrates with the rest of your process flow.

LPCVD nitride stress classes on one scaleA horizontal film-stress scale from 0 to 1000 MPa with three labeled bands: super-low-stress under 100, low-stress under 250, and stoichiometric at 800 and above.Three nitride recipes — choose the stress class your device needsSuper-low-stress <100 MPaLow-stress <250 MPaStoichiometric ≥800 MPa tensile01002508001000Film stress (MPa, tensile)
Stress classes map to devices. Super-low-stress (<100 MPa) suits sensitive membranes, cantilevers, and low-loss photonics; low-stress (<250 MPa) suits stress-matched structural layers and microfluidics; stoichiometric (≥800 MPa tensile) delivers dielectric isolation and hard etch masking — up to 4500Å stoichiometric or 2µm for the low-stress classes.

Supported Wafer Sizes and Substrates

We deposit LPCVD silicon nitride on 50.8mm, 76.2mm, 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, and 200mm wafers, including:

  • Silicon
  • Silicon-on-insulator (SOI)
  • Quartz (super-low-stress nitride only, due to thermal expansion mismatch)
  • Sapphire (quoted individually)
  • Other specialty materials by request

Because LPCVD is a high-temperature process, wafers that already carry metal films are better served by our PECVD films, which deposit nitride and oxide at lower temperatures.

Why Engineers Choose Our LPCVD Silicon Nitride

Foundry-Grade UniformityFilms grown on the same qualified furnaces that run our full MEMS production programs
Low Pinhole DensityReliable dielectric isolation and stable electrical insulation
High Mechanical StrengthTensile films suited to MEMS structural layers and membranes
Etch Mask DurabilityLPCVD nitride is the standard masking layer for KOH silicon etching, holding up through prolonged wet etch processing
Superior Conformal CoverageConsistent film thickness over complex, high-aspect-ratio structures
Double-Sided DepositionLPCVD coats both wafer sides in a single run, useful for backside masking and stress balancing

These properties make LPCVD silicon nitride wafers ideal for applications that demand robust thin-film performance under demanding mechanical, electrical, and environmental conditions.

Silicon Nitride Wafer Applications

Silicon nitride thin films play a critical role in many microfabricated devices and semiconductor technologies. Our LPCVD nitride deposition combines with other wafer services, such as thermal oxidation, to support applications including:

  • MEMS pressure sensors
  • Accelerometers and inertial sensors
  • Microfluidic devices
  • Optical MEMS components
  • Low-loss optical waveguides for silicon photonics
  • Device passivation layers
  • Dielectric isolation structures
  • Membrane and diaphragm structures

Because LPCVD silicon nitride films provide high tensile strength and low permeability, they are widely used for MEMS membranes, structural layers, and protective coatings in advanced microdevices.

A U.S.-Based MEMS Foundry Partner for Silicon Nitride Deposition

As a U.S.-based, ITAR-registeredMEMS foundry, we support companies developing next-generation sensors, MEMS devices, and semiconductor technologies. Your nitride films are deposited in-house on the same qualified equipment used for device production, never brokered to a third party.

Start with LPCVD silicon nitride wafers for prototyping, add complementary films such as PVD metal and dielectric films, and scale into full device fabrication without changing vendors or re-qualifying your films.

Related Wafer Services

Wafer ServicesThermal OxidationPECVD FilmsPVD Metal & Dielectric FilmsWet EtchMEMS FoundryShop Silicon Nitride Wafers

Request a Quote for LPCVD Silicon Nitride

Tell us your wafer size, film type, target stress, and thickness, and our team will respond quickly with pricing and lead time. Request a quote to start your project, or shop ready-to-ship wafers if you need silicon nitride wafers today.

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