PRODUCTION OF HIGH PRECIPITATE DENSITY WAFERS BY ACTIVATION OF INACTIVE OXYGEN PRECIPITATE NUCLEI

Processes for the treatment of silicon wafers to form a high density non-uniform distribution of oxygen precipitate nuclei therein such that, upon being subjected to the heat treatment cycles of essentially any arbitrary electronic device manufacturing process, the wafers form oxygen precipitates in the bulk and a precipitate-free zone near the surface are disclosed. The processes involve activation of inactive oxygen precipitate nuclei by performing heat treatments between about 400° C. and about 600° C. for at least about 1 hour.