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How does silicon dioxide help make silicon-based electronic devices?

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A periodic table element square for silicon shows atomic number 14, symbol Si, atomic weight range, electron configuration, and name. Icons indicate it is a solid nonmetal with diamond crystal structure and equal relative strength. Labels explain each property. — silicon Chemical properties of the element silicon.

Silicon dioxide (silica) is essential to the production of silicon-based electronic devices primarily because it serves as an effective insulating material.1

In the fabrication of integrated circuits, a process known as thermal oxidation is used to create a thin, insulating layer of silicon dioxide on the surface of a silicon substrate. By heating the silicon to temperatures between 900 and 1,100 °C (1,650–2,000 °F), the surface is caused to oxidize, forming this protective, non-conductive barrier. This layer is critical for the function and architecture of modern electronic components, including complementary metal-oxide semiconductors (CMOS).1

Additionally, it is important to note that silicon dioxide is the primary raw material from which elemental silicon is commercially produced. Through the reduction of silica with coke in an electric furnace, manufacturers obtain the base material that is subsequently refined and used to create the silicon wafers found in computer chips and transistors.23