<s>
Wafer	B-Algorithm
fabrication	I-Algorithm
is	O
a	O
procedure	O
composed	O
of	O
many	O
repeated	O
sequential	O
processes	O
to	O
produce	O
complete	O
electrical	O
or	O
photonic	O
circuits	O
on	O
semiconductor	B-Architecture
wafers	I-Architecture
in	O
semiconductor	B-Architecture
device	I-Architecture
fabrication	I-Architecture
process	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
Examples	O
include	O
production	O
of	O
radio	O
frequency	O
(	O
RF	O
)	O
amplifiers	O
,	O
LEDs	O
,	O
optical	O
computer	O
components	O
,	O
and	O
microprocessors	B-Architecture
for	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wafer	B-Algorithm
fabrication	I-Algorithm
is	O
used	O
to	O
build	O
components	O
with	O
the	O
necessary	O
electrical	O
structures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
electrical	O
circuit	O
specifications	O
are	O
entered	O
into	O
electrical	O
circuit	O
design	B-Application
software	I-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
SPICE	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
then	O
imported	O
into	O
circuit	O
layout	O
programs	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
similar	O
to	O
ones	O
used	O
for	O
computer	B-Application
aided	I-Application
design	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
necessary	O
for	O
the	O
layers	O
to	O
be	O
defined	O
for	O
photomask	B-Algorithm
production	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
silicon	B-Architecture
wafers	I-Architecture
start	O
out	O
blank	O
and	O
pure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
First	O
,	O
photoresist	O
patterns	O
are	O
photo-masked	O
in	O
micrometer	O
detail	O
onto	O
the	O
wafers	B-Architecture
 '	O
surface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
wafers	B-Architecture
are	O
then	O
exposed	O
to	O
short-wave	O
ultraviolet	B-Application
light	O
and	O
the	O
unexposed	O
areas	O
are	O
thus	O
etched	O
away	O
and	O
cleaned	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hot	O
chemical	O
vapors	B-Application
are	O
deposited	B-Algorithm
on	O
to	O
the	O
desired	O
zones	O
and	O
baked	O
in	O
high	O
heat	O
,	O
which	O
permeate	O
the	O
vapors	B-Application
into	O
the	O
desired	O
zones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
processes	O
to	O
accomplish	O
each	O
of	O
these	O
steps	O
with	O
better	O
resolution	O
and	O
in	O
improved	O
ways	O
emerge	O
every	O
year	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
result	O
of	O
constantly	O
changing	O
technology	O
in	O
the	O
wafer	B-Algorithm
fabrication	I-Algorithm
industry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
technologies	O
result	O
in	O
denser	O
packing	O
of	O
minuscule	O
surface	O
features	O
such	O
as	O
transistors	B-Application
and	O
micro-electro-mechanical	O
systems	O
(	O
MEMS	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
fab	B-Algorithm
is	O
a	O
common	O
term	O
for	O
where	O
these	O
processes	O
are	O
accomplished	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Often	O
the	O
fab	B-Algorithm
is	O
owned	O
by	O
the	O
company	O
that	O
sells	O
the	O
chips	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Intel	O
,	O
Texas	O
Instruments	O
,	O
or	O
Freescale	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
foundry	B-Algorithm
is	O
a	O
fab	B-Algorithm
at	O
which	O
semiconductor	O
chips	O
or	O
wafers	B-Architecture
are	O
fabricated	O
to	O
order	O
for	O
third	O
party	O
companies	O
that	O
sell	O
the	O
chip	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
fabs	B-Algorithm
owned	O
by	O
Taiwan	O
Semiconductor	B-Architecture
Manufacturing	I-Architecture
Company	O
(	O
TSMC	O
)	O
,	O
United	O
Microelectronics	O
Corporation	O
(	O
UMC	O
)	O
,	O
GlobalFoundries	O
and	O
Semiconductor	B-Architecture
Manufacturing	I-Architecture
International	O
Corporation	O
(	O
SMIC	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2013	O
the	O
cost	O
of	O
building	O
the	O
next	O
generation	O
wafer	B-Architecture
fab	B-Algorithm
was	O
over	O
$10	O
billion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Referred	O
to	O
respectively	O
as	O
the	O
wafer	B-Architecture
fab	B-Algorithm
equipment	O
or	O
wafer	B-Architecture
front	O
end	O
(	O
equipment	O
)	O
market	O
,	O
both	O
using	O
the	O
acronym	O
WFE	O
,	O
the	O
market	O
is	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
manufacturers	O
of	O
the	O
machines	O
which	O
in	O
turn	O
manufacture	O
semiconductors	O
.	O
</s>
