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US 2004/0064263 A1Published application
System and method for measuring properties of a semiconductor substrate in a non-destructive way
AssigneeInteruniversitair Microelektronica Centrum (IMEC) vzw
InventorsTrudo Clarysse, Wilfried Vandervorst
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One aspect of the invention discloses a method of determining the dopant profile of doped regions in a semiconductor substrate. A pump laser is used to create excess carriers in this semiconductor substrate. The excess carrier concentration will influence the reflection of a probe laser. From the reflected probe laser not only the bulk components but also the near-surface components are eliminated to only yield the bulk components.
Claims27
A method of measuring a value of a bulk property of a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- providing a generation beam;
- providing an analyzer beam;
- focusing the generation beam and the analyzer beam on the semiconductor substrate, the generation beam generating in an area of the semiconductor substrate contacted by the generation beam a number of excess charge carriers, having a depth profile, the generated excess charge carriers reflecting the analyzer beam;
- detecting a predetermined characteristic of the reflected analyzer beam, the predetermined characteristic comprising a near-surface contribution relating to a component of the analyzer beam reflected near the surface of the semiconductor substrate;
- and
- determining the value of the bulk property from the predetermined characteristic of the reflected analyzer beam, the bulk property relating to a component of the analyzer beam reflected in an excess carrier profile region away from the surface of the semiconductor substrate,
- wherein at least the near-surface contribution is eliminated from the predetermined characteristic.
4 more elements
An apparatus for measuring a bulk property in a region of a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of background carriers, the apparatus comprising:
- means for creating a plurality of excess carriers in a region of the substrate;
- means for generating an analyzer beam, the analyzer beam impinging on the region of the substrate;
- means for detecting a predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam reflected by the plurality of excess carriers;
- and
- means for determining the value of the bulk property from the predetermined characteristic of the reflected analyzer beam, means for eliminating at least the near-surface contribution from the predetermined characteristic.
2 more elements
A method of evaluating a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- focusing a generation beam and a probe beam on the semiconductor substrate, the generation beam generating, in an area of the semiconductor substrate focused by the generation beam, a number of excess charge carriers, having a depth profile, the generated excess charge carriers reflecting the probe beam;
- detecting a predetermined characteristic of the reflected probe beam, the predetermined characteristic comprising a near-surface contribution relating to a component of the probe beam reflected near the surface of the semiconductor substrate;
- and
- removing at least the near-surface contribution from the predetermined characteristic.
1 more element
A method of evaluating a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of background carriers, the method comprising:
- creating a plurality of excess carriers in a region of the semiconductor substrate;
- focusing a probe beam on the region of the semiconductor substrate, the plurality of excess carriers reflecting the probe beam, at least part of the probe beam impinging on the region of the substrate;
- detecting a predetermined characteristic of the reflected probe beam, the predetermined characteristic comprising a near-surface contribution relating to a component of the probe beam reflected near the surface of the semiconductor substrate;
- and
- removing at least the near-surface contribution from the predetermined characteristic.
2 more elements
An apparatus for measuring a value of a bulk property of a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- means for providing a generation beam;
- means for providing an analyzer beam;
- means for focusing the generation beam and the analyzer beam on the semiconductor substrate, the generation beam generating in an area of the semiconductor substrate contacted by the generation beam a number of excess charge carriers, having a depth profile, the generated excess charge carriers reflecting the analyzer beam;
- means for detecting a predetermined characteristic of the reflected analyzer beam, the predetermined characteristic comprising a near-surface contribution relating to a component of the analyzer beam reflected near the surface of the semiconductor substrate;
- and
- means for determining the value of the bulk property from the predetermined characteristic of the reflected analyzer beam, the bulk property relating to a component of the analyzer beam reflected in an excess carrier profile region away from the surface of the semiconductor substrate,
- wherein at least the near-surface contribution is eliminated from the predetermined characteristic.
4 more elements
An apparatus for evaluating a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- means for focusing a generation beam and a probe beam on the semiconductor substrate, the generation beam generating, in an area of the semiconductor substrate focused by the generation beam, a number of excess charge carriers, having a depth profile, the generated excess charge carriers reflecting the probe beam;
- means for detecting a predetermined characteristic of the reflected probe beam, the predetermined characteristic comprising a near-surface contribution relating to a component of the probe beam reflected near the surface of the semiconductor substrate;
- and
- means for removing at least the near-surface contribution from the predetermined characteristic.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.