Method for manufacturing a wafer having a microdefect-free layer of a precisely predetermined depth

A method of calibrating a device for measuring a depth of a microdefect-free layer on a semiconductor device, comprising:

• providing a semiconductor silicon substrate having sufficient interstitial oxygen to form oxide microdefects;
• maintaining the semiconductor silicon substrate within a temperature range to form oxide microdefects within the substrate;
• depositing an epitaxial layer onto the semiconductor silicon substrate after the formation of oxide microdefects within the substrate, the epitaxial layer having essentially no nucleation site to form oxide microdefects;
• maintaining the semiconductor silicon substrate and the overlying epitaxial layer within a second temperature range to grow easily detectable oxide microdefects within the semiconductor silicon substrate, the epitaxial layer providing a microdefect-free layer easily distinguishable from the semiconductor silicon substrate having microdefects;
• and
• measuring the known precise depth of the epitaxial layer to provide a standard for comparing a microdefect-free layer of unknown depth.