Contactless optical probe for use in semiconductor processing metrology
AssigneeVanderbilt University
InventorsNorman H. Tolk, Gunter Leupke, Wei Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and/or device (285) for determining first and second band offsets (100, 110) at a semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface (115), which includes the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface (115) exposed to incident photons (205) from a light source (200); a detector (275, 280) for generating a signal by detecting emitted photons (260, 265) from the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface (115); and an element (310) for changing the energy of incident photons (205) to monitor the first and second band offsets (100, 110).
Claims81
A method of determining first and second band-offsets at a semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface, the method comprising:
- exposing the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface to incident photons;
- generating a signal by detecting emitted photons that have interacted with the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface;
- changing the energy of the incident photons and monitoring the signal to determine a first threshold energy for injection of first carriers into the dielectric of the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface, the first threshold energy corresponding to the first band-offset;
- and
- changing the energy of the incident photons beyond the first threshold energy and monitoring the signal to determine a second threshold energy for injection of second carriers into the dielectric of the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface, the second threshold energy corresponding to the second band-offset.
A method for contactless measurement of first and second band-offsets at a semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface, the method comprising:
- exposing the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface to incident photons generated by a tunable substantially monochromatic electromagnetic radiation source;
- generating a signal by detecting emitted photons that have interacted with a space charge field at the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface;
- changing the energy of the incident photons and monitoring the signal to determine a first threshold energy for injection of first carriers into the dielectric of the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface, the first threshold energy corresponding to the first band-offset;
- and
- changing the energy of the incident photons beyond the first threshold energy and monitoring the signal to determine a second threshold energy for injection of second carriers into the dielectric of the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface, the second threshold energy corresponding to the second band-offset.
A method of determining first and second band-offsets at a plurality of heterointerfaces between layers having different bandgaps, the method comprising:
- exposing the plurality of heterointerfaces to incident photons;
- generating a signal by detecting emitted photons that have interacted with the plurality of heterointerfaces;
- changing the energy of the incident photons and monitoring the signal to determine a first threshold energy for injection of first carriers into one of the layers having a larger bandgap, the first threshold energy corresponding to the first band-offset;
- and
- changing the energy of the incident photons beyond the first threshold energy and monitoring the signal to determine a second threshold energy for injection of second carriers into the one of the layers having a larger bandgap, the second threshold energy corresponding to the second band-offset.
A device to determine first and second band-offsets at a semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface, the device comprising:
- a source of incident photons exposing the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface to the incident photons;
- and
- a detector generating a signal by detecting emitted photons that have interacted with the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface, wherein the energy of the incident photons is changeable and the signal is monitorable to determine a first threshold energy for injection of first carriers into the dielectric of the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface, the first threshold energy corresponding to the first band-offset, and wherein the energy of the incident photons is changeable beyond the first threshold energy and the signal is monitorable to determine a second threshold energy for injection of second carriers into the dielectric of the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface, the second threshold energy corresponding to the second band-offset.
A method of controlling a semiconductor manufacturing process, the method comprising:
- determining first and second band-offsets at a semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface, wherein determining the first and second band-offsets comprises:
- exposing the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface to incident photons;
- generating a signal by detecting emitted photons that have interacted with the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface;
- changing the energy of the incident photons and monitoring the signal to determine a first threshold energy for injection of first carriers into the dielectric of the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface, the first threshold energy corresponding to the first band-offset;
- and
- changing the energy of the incident photons beyond the first threshold energy and monitoring the signal to determine a second threshold energy for injection of second carriers into the dielectric of the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface, the second threshold energy corresponding to the second band-offset;
- and
- using the determination of the first and second band-offsets at the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface to control the semiconductor manufacturing process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.