skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation for wafer surface trace impurity analysis (invited)

Journal Article · · Review of Scientific Instruments; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1145957· OSTI ID:6851197
; ; ;  [1]; ;  [2]; ;  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6]
  1. Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, SLAC M.S. 69, P. O. Box 4349, Stanford, California 94309 (United States)
  2. Integrated Circuits Business Division R D Center, Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, California 94304 (United States)
  3. Toshiba Corporation, Kawasaki 210 (Japan)
  4. Intel Corp., P. O. Box 58119, Santa Clara, California 95052 (United States)
  5. Fisons Instruments, 355 Shoreway Road, San Carlos, California 94070 (United States)
  6. Center for X-ray Optics, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

Trace impurity analysis is essential for the development of competitive silicon circuit technologies. Current best methods for chemically identifying and quantifying surface and near-surface impurities include grazing incidence x-ray fluorescence techniques using rotating anode x-ray sources. To date, this method falls short of what is needed for future process generations. However, the work described here demonstrates that with the use of synchrotron radiation, total reflection x-ray fluorescence methods can be extended to meet projected needs of the silicon circuit industry until, at least, the year 2000. The present results represent over an order of magnitude improvement in detection limit over what has been reported previously. A double multilayer monochromator on a high flux wiggler beam line resulted in a detection limit for Ni of 3[times]10[sup 8] atoms/cm[sup 2]. This is to be compared with a detection limit of 5[times]10[sup 9] atoms/cm[sup 2] obtained with a rotating anode system. This is due to the greatly improved signal to background in the case of the synchrotron. Furthermore, there is a path to improving the synchrotron case to reach a detection limit of 5[times]10[sup 7] atoms/cm[sup 2].

OSTI ID:
6851197
Journal Information:
Review of Scientific Instruments; (United States), Vol. 66:2; ISSN 0034-6748
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English