Comparison of techniques for detecting metal contamination in silicon wafers

Polignano, M. L.; Borionetti, G.; Galbiati, A.; Grasso, Salvatore; Mica, I.; Nutsch, A.

doi:10.1016/j.sab.2018.09.001

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Ideally suited for this are wafers as produced and used in the semiconductor industry. Therefore it is not surprising that most applications of surface and thin-layer analysis are found in this field [7,8,87]. TXRF instrumentation has been tailored since the 1990's for wafer control initially using only surface scanning, but more recently also for subsurface analysis.…”

Section: Surface and Thin-layer Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence

Schmeling

2019

Physical Sciences Reviews

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Abstract Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry is a non-destructive and surface sensitive multi-element analytical method based on energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry with detection limits in the lower picogram range. It utilizes the total reflection of the primary X-ray beam at or below the critical angle of incidence. At this angle, the fluorescence intensity is substantially enhanced for samples present as small granular residue or as thin homogenous layer deposited at the surface of a thick substrate. Generally, two types of application exist: micro- and trace-analysis as well as surface and thin-layer analysis. For micro- and trace-analysis, a small amount of the solid or liquid sample is deposited on an optically flat substrate, typically quartz or polycarbonate. The dried residue is analyzed at a fixed angle setting slightly below the critical angle. Quantification is carried out by means of internal standardization. For surface and thin-layer analysis, the surface of an optically flat substrate is scanned. Variations of the incident angle of the primary X-ray beam provide information about the type and sometimes also the amount of material present at or slightly below the surface of the substrate. Major fields of application are environmental samples, biological tissues, objects of cultural heritage, semiconductors and thin-layered materials and films.

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Section: Surface and Thin-layer Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence

Schmeling

2019

Physical Sciences Reviews

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“…Metal impurities in silicon substrates are a critical factor that must be rigorously controlled during silicon wafer fabrication. Metal particles in ionic form exhibit high mobility within semiconductor silicon substrates, which can cause significant damage to the electrical performance and long-term reliability of silicon-based semiconductor devices [ 1 , 2 , 3 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DFT Exploration of Metal Ion–Ligand Binding: Toward Rational Design of Chelating Agent in Semiconductor Manufacturing

Wang,

Zhu,

Huang

et al. 2024

Molecules

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Chelating agents are commonly employed in microelectronic processes to prevent metal ion contamination. The ligand fragments of a chelating agent largely determine its binding strength to metal ions. Identification of ligands with suitable characteristics will facilitate the design of chelating agents to enhance the capture and removal of metal ions from the substrate in microelectronic processes. This study employed quantum chemical calculations to simulate the binding process between eleven ligands and the hydrated forms of Ni2+, Cu2+, Al3+, and Fe3+ ions. The binding strength between the metal ions and ligands was quantified using binding energy and binding enthalpy. Additionally, we explored the binding interaction mechanisms and explained the differences in binding abilities of the eleven ligands using frontier molecular orbitals, nucleophilic indexes, electrostatic potentials, and energy decomposition calculations based on molecular force fields. Based on our computational results, promising chelating agent structures are proposed, aiming to guide the design of new chelating agents to address metal ion contamination issues in integrated circuit processes.

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“…With the development of imaging technologies, the detection of low-level metallic contamination has become a compulsory research area to control the reliability and performance of devices. [1,2] Early detection of unexpected metallic contaminants during device fabrication is key to avoid yield losses and secure the manufacturing line. [3,4] However, most of the techniques used to detect contamination share at least one of the major problems: the detection limit of the technique is too high (e.g., EDX); the technique is only sensitive to surface (e.g., TXRF) or volume (e.g., SPV).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Surface Voltage on Photoluminescence Response for the Detection of Copper and Iron Contamination in Silicon

Nassiet

Duru

Le-Cunff

et al. 2021

Physica Status Solidi (a)

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Herein, silicon substrates intentionally contaminated by iron and copper are analyzed by an innovative technique based on photoluminescence (PL) measurement, with the aim to evaluate the sensitivity of this technique to low level contamination and its capability for further in‐line monitoring during devices fabrication. Measurements are carried out directly after samples preparation, with the combined use of PL and corona discharges to separate the contribution of metallic contamination from interface properties on the PL signal. The sensitivity of PL to both iron and copper contamination in silicon with higher sensitivity when surface recombination is minimized is shown. Therefore, this work highlights the importance of surface properties monitoring for the optimization of PL detection of metallic contamination.

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Comparison of techniques for detecting metal contamination in silicon wafers

Cited by 6 publications

References 43 publications

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence

DFT Exploration of Metal Ion–Ligand Binding: Toward Rational Design of Chelating Agent in Semiconductor Manufacturing

The Impact of Surface Voltage on Photoluminescence Response for the Detection of Copper and Iron Contamination in Silicon

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