Method of determining nitrogen concentration within a wafer
AssigneeSHE America, Inc.
InventorSergei V. Koveshnikov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved method of determining the concentration of nitrogen within a wafer is provided. At least a portion of the nitrogen within the wafer is initially gettered to a gettering site. In order prevent the in-diffusion of nitrogen, a barrier layer is generally deposited upon the wafer prior to gettering the nitrogen within the wafer. The nitrogen is then measured at the gettering site. The concentration of nitrogen within the wafer is then determined based upon the measurement of nitrogen at the gettering site and the diffusion coefficient for nitrogen. In this regard, the diffusion coefficient of nitrogen permits the measurement of nitrogen at the gettering site to be translated into a measurement of the concentration of nitrogen throughout the entire wafer.
Claims20
A method of determining a concentration of nitrogen within a wafer, the method comprising:
- providing a diffusion coefficient for nitrogen;
- gettering at least a portion of the nitrogen within the wafer to a gettering site;
- measuring the nitrogen at the gettering site;
- and
- determining the concentration of nitrogen within the wafer based upon the measurement of the nitrogen at the gettering site and the diffusion coefficient for nitrogen.
A method of determining a concentration of nitrogen within a wafer, the method comprising:
- providing a wafer having a gettering site;
- heating the wafer;
- measuring the nitrogen at the gettering site following heating of the wafer;
- and
- determining the concentration of nitrogen within the wafer based upon the measurement of the nitrogen at the gettering site and a diffusion coefficient for nitrogen.
A method of determining a concentration of nitrogen within a wafer, the method comprising:
- providing a diffusion coefficient for nitrogen;
- forming a gettering site within the wafer;
- depositing a barrier layer on the wafer following formation of the gettering site;
- heating the wafer following the deposition of the barrier layer;
- measuring the nitrogen at the gettering site following heating of the wafer;
- and
- determining the concentration of nitrogen within the wafer based upon the measurement of the nitrogen at the gettering site and the diffusion coefficient for nitrogen.
A method for determining a diffusion coefficient for nitrogen comprising:
- providing first and second wafers, each wafer having a gettering site and including an epitaxial layer, the epitaxial layer of the first wafer having a different thickness than the epitaxial layer of the second wafer;
- permitting in-diffusion of nitrogen from the surrounding environment to the gettering site of each wafer;
- measuring the nitrogen at the gettering site of each wafer following in-diffusion of nitrogen;
- and
- determining the diffusion coefficient for nitrogen based at least partially upon the nitrogen measured at the gettering site of each of the first and second wafers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.