✅ PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY — Possible Questions

👉 2-MARK QUESTIONS
1. Define photolithography.
2. What is the role of a photoresist?
3. Distinguish between positive and negative photoresists.
4. What is meant by resolution in lithography?
5. Define depth of focus.
6. State the steps involved in lithography (any 4).
7. Why does mask damage occur in contact printing?
8. What is proximity printing?
9. Why is UV light preferred over visible light in optical lithography?
10. What is diffraction? How does it affect resolution?
11. Give the Rayleigh resolution formula.
12. Why is chrome mask better than emulsion mask?
13. What is the principle of electron beam lithography?
14. Why is e-beam lithography maskless?
15. What is the typical beam diameter in e-beam lithography?
16. Why is negative resist prone to swelling?
17. What limits the throughput of e-beam lithography?
18. Why are X-rays preferred in X-ray lithography?
19. How does water affect oxide etching during lithography?
20. What is meant by mask alignment?

👉 5-MARK QUESTIONS
1. Explain the complete photolithography process with neat steps.
2. Compare positive vs negative photoresists.
3. Describe contact, proximity, and projection printing.
4. Explain how diffraction affects optical lithography resolution.
5. Explain electron beam lithography with advantages & limitations.
6. Explain mask fabrication steps.
7. Discuss figure-of-merits of lithography (Resolution, Throughput, DOF).
8. Explain the role of UV wavelength in optical lithography and derive resolution formula.
9. Describe X-ray lithography and its advantages for sub-micron lithography.
10. Compare Optical, E-beam, and X-ray lithography.
✅ OXIDATION — Possible Questions
👉 2-MARK QUESTIONS
1. Why is SiO₂ important in IC fabrication?
2. Differentiate between dry and wet oxidation.
3. Write chemical reaction for dry oxidation.
4. What is volume expansion during oxidation?
5. State the Deal–Grove model equation.
6. What is meant by linear growth?
7. What is meant by parabolic growth?
8. How does doping affect oxidation rate?
– Boron?
– Phosphorus?
9. What is high-pressure oxidation?
10. What is rapid thermal oxidation?
11. Why does SiO₂ grow inward?
12. What is the role of chlorine during oxidation?
13. What are the fluxes F1, F2, F3?
14. Why is wet oxidation faster?
15. What is meant by HPO?

👉 5-MARK QUESTIONS
1. Explain thermal oxidation with dry & wet oxidation reactions.
2. Derive the Deal–Grove model.
3. Explain how oxide grows inward using flux diagrams.
4. Discuss factors affecting oxidation rate.
5. Compare dry, wet, plasma, HPO, and RTO oxidation.
6. Explain effect of impurities (B, P, Cl, moisture).
7. Discuss volume expansion and its impact on device fabrication.
8. Explain special oxidation techniques with advantages.
9. Why is SiO₂ a good mask and insulator?
10. Explain oxide growth kinetics and time–thickness relationship.
✅ CRYSTAL GROWTH & WAFER PREPARATION —
Possible Questions
👉 2-MARK QUESTIONS
1. What are Miller indices?
2. Difference between (100) and (111) planes.
3. Why MOS devices use (100)?
4. List point defects in crystals.
5. What is a grain boundary?
6. What is twinning?
7. What is the segregation coefficient?
8. What is Electronic Grade Silicon?
9. Why is FZ silicon purer than CZ silicon?
10. What is internal gettering?
11. What are primary & secondary flats?
12. State the purpose of wafer polishing.
13. What is the Siemens process?
14. Write the reaction to produce Trichlorosilane.
15. What is metallurgical grade silicon?
16. Why does oxygen enter CZ crystals?
17. What is the normal freezing relation?
18. Define resistivity measurement using 4-point probe.
19. What is wafer lapping?
20. What is wafer bow & taper?

👉 5-MARK QUESTIONS
1. Explain Czochralski crystal growth with neat diagram.
2. Explain Float Zone (FZ) crystal growth and compare with CZ.
3. Discuss the complete preparation of silicon wafer (grinding → slicing → polishing).
4. Explain crystal defects (point, line, planar, volume).
5. Why MOS structures use ⟨100⟩ orientation but bipolar uses ⟨111⟩?
6. Explain segregation coefficient and dopant distribution during crystal growth.
7. Discuss internal gettering and denuded zone formation.
8. Explain Siemens process for producing Electronic Grade Silicon.
9. Write impurities and their effects in CZ silicon.
10. Describe the 4-point probe method to measure resistivity with derivation.
✅ EPITAXY — Possible Questions
👉 2-MARK QUESTIONS
1. Define epitaxy.
2. Difference between homoepitaxy and heteroepitaxy.
3. Write reaction for Si epitaxy using SiCl₄.
4. Why is epitaxy used in bipolar technology?
5. What is autodoping?
6. Why does epitaxy improve breakdown voltage?
7. List types of epitaxy methods.
8. What is MBE?
9. What is the pressure in an MBE chamber (~10⁻⁹ Torr)?
10. What is LPE?
11. Advantages of VPE?
12. Disadvantages of MBE?
13. What is an epi reactor?
14. Why is thickness control excellent in MBE?
15. Applications of epitaxy.

👉 5-MARK QUESTIONS
1. Explain homoepitaxy and heteroepitaxy with examples.
2. Explain VPE process with reactor diagram.
3. Compare VPE, LPE, and MBE.
4. Explain MBE process with steps.
5. Explain advantages and limitations of epitaxy.
6. Explain how autodoping is reduced during epitaxy.
7. Discuss applications of epitaxy in MOS & bipolar devices.
8. Explain the role of dopant gases in epitaxial growth.
9. Give the complete flow of epitaxial layer formation using SiCl₄ system.
10. What are the challenges in heteroepitaxy (lattice mismatch, defects)?
✅ DIFFUSION — Possible Questions
👉 2-MARK QUESTIONS
1. Define diffusion.
2. What are the three diffusion mechanisms?
3. Why is boron an interstitialcy diffuser?
4. What is Fick’s first law?
5. What is Fick’s second law?
6. Why is interstitial diffusion faster?
7. Define pre-deposition.
8. Define drive-in diffusion.
9. Write diffusion profile for infinite source.
10. Write diffusion profile for constant dose.
11. What is diffusion coefficient?
12. Why is diffusion temperature-dependent?
13. What is Gaussian profile?
14. What is erfc function?
15. What is junction depth?
16. Why does infinite source maintain constant surface concentration?

👉 5-MARK QUESTIONS
1. Explain substitutional, interstitial, and interstitialcy diffusion.
2. Derive Fick’s first and second laws.
3. Explain infinite source diffusion with equations and profiles.
4. Explain constant total impurity diffusion (drive-in).
5. Compare infinite source vs constant total impurity diffusion.
6. Explain temperature dependence of diffusion (Arrhenius law).
7. Discuss two-step diffusion process in IC fabrication.
8. Explain dopant diffusion profiles with graphs.
9. Explain diffusion mechanisms with suitable examples.
10. Explain the role of vacancies and interstitials in diffusion.