Characterization in Silicon Processing

Deposition techniques (amount of heat used or bias applied to the substrate) and

incorporation of residual gases affect the grain size and morphology of the grown

film. Nondestructive techniques operating on a macro

level

have been developed

to monitor grain size and surface morphology. Although these techniques are

easy

to use and so are

typically

used in production environments, the resultant measure-

ment is a combination of many factors. These techniques cannot indicate which

single

factor impacted grain size or morphology the

most.

These tools are simple

gauges

to indicate when the result is bad.

The first analytical

tool

is a

noncontac ...