Apparatus and method for determining leakage current between a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region to be formed therein

A method of determining leakage current between a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region to be subsequently formed therein, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a leakage current threshold;
• correlating surface minority carrier lifetime in the first semiconductor region to leakage current between the first and second semiconductor regions;
• measuring surface minority carrier lifetime in the first semiconductor region;
• based on the correlation between surface minority carrier lifetime and leakage current, converting the measured surface minority carrier lifetime to a measured leakage current;
• and
• determining that the leakage current between the first and second semiconductor regions is acceptable if the measured leakage current is less than the leakage current threshold.

Apparatus for determining leakage current between a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region to be subsequently formed therein, the apparatus comprising:

• a memory having stored therein a surface minority carrier lifetime threshold based on a correlation between surface minority carrier lifetime in the first semiconductor region and leakage current between the first and second semiconductor regions;
• a probe configured to interface with the first semiconductor region and produce one or more signals relating to surface minority carrier lifetime therein;
• and
• a computer responsive to the one or more signals to determine a measured surface minority carrier lifetime in the first semiconductor region, the computer determining that the leakage current between the first and second semiconductor regions is acceptable if the measured surface minority carrier lifetime is greater than the surface minority carrier lifetime threshold and otherwise determining that the leakage current is unacceptable.

Apparatus for determining leakage current between a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region to be subsequently formed therein, the apparatus comprising:

• a memory having stored therein a leakage current threshold and a correlation between surface minority carrier lifetime in the first semiconductor region and leakage current between the first and second semiconductor regions;
• a probe configured to interface with the first semiconductor region and produce one or more signals relating to surface minority carrier lifetime therein;
• and
• a computer responsive to the one or more signals to determine a measured surface minority carrier lifetime in the first semiconductor region and to convert the measured surface minority carrier lifetime to a measured leakage current based on the correlation therebetween, the computer determining that the leakage current between the first and second semiconductor regions is acceptable if the measured leakage current is less than the leakage current threshold and otherwise determining that the leakage current is unacceptable.