No abstract

The rapidly increasing demand for high-quality electron devices in recent years has generated a corresponding interest in methods for detecting, measuring, controlling, and removing surface contaminants (1). Contamination, even at trace levels, may cause significant fabrication problems as in diffusion welding operations. It may also degrade electrical performance characteristics, shorten lifetime, and reduce the reliability of completed devices. In addition, cleanliness is essential in order to establish reproducible material conditions which, in turn, can simplify the problems of statistical quality control.