Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Optical or pre-photocell system
Reexamination Certificate
2003-06-09
2004-09-21
Allen, Stephone B. (Department: 2878)
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Optical or pre-photocell system
C250S559090, C250S559460, C356S365000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06794635
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for detecting an amount of depolarization of a linearly polarized beam transmitted by a birefringent medium.
This apparatus and method, respectively, can, conveniently, be used for detecting internal stress fields inherent to a semiconductor wafer that normally is isotropic and, thus, does not exhibit any birefringence. As the internal stress fields are induced by dislocations and slip lines, the detection result will be a measure for the amount of dislocations and slip lines and, thus, will be a measure of the quality of the wafer and the resulting semiconductor devices. The linearly polarized beam is, preferably, transmitted by the birefringent medium in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the birefringent medium.
Usually, the manufacture of semiconductor devices involves various steps of wafer processing and, in particular, thermal processing steps during which the wafers are mechanically stressed. As a consequence, dislocations, slides, and slip lines in the crystal are generated that will, for example, cause leakage currents and, thus, tremendously deteriorate the device characteristics. Accordingly, it is necessary to assess the amount of dislocations and slip lines and, based on the result, reject those wafers having an amount of dislocations and slip lines that exceeds a previously determined threshold.
The degree of dislocations and slip lines can be detected by a method called Scanning Infrared Depolarization. The principle of slip line detection by Scanning Infrared Depolarization is based on the fact that linearly polarized light transmitted by a silicon wafer splits up into two orthogonal components, parallel and perpendicular components, with respect to the incident light when internal stress fields lower the symmetry of the crystal from tetrahedral to tetragonal or even lower.
Stated differently, a normally isotropic silicon wafer becomes birefringent when internal stress fields occur. Accordingly, the two orthogonal components form the ordinary and extraordinary beams, respectively, are transmitted with different velocities. As a consequence, the beam emerging from the wafer is elliptically polarized due to the phase difference between the two orthogonal components.
The stress fields occurring in a semiconductor wafer are caused by the distortion of the crystal by dislocations or slip lines. The ratio between the two orthogonal components gives a good measure of the strength of the stress field. An experimental setup for a Scanning Infrared Depolarization measurement is shown in FIG.
2
. In
FIG. 2
, reference numeral
1
denotes a linearly polarized laser beam emitted by a non-illustrated laser device. Reference numeral
2
denotes the laser beam after it has been transmitted by the semiconductor wafer
5
. Reference numeral
7
is a polarization beam splitter that splits the incoming beam
2
into the orthogonal components
3
and
4
. Component
3
is detected by photodetector
8
, and component
4
is detected by photodetector
9
. The slip line is represented as a step denoted by reference numeral
6
.
The effect described above is very weak. Accordingly, the ratio of the vertical component to the parallel component of the light beam is 1:100 or even less. To detect the weak vertical signal, the amplifier amplifying the photo diode signal has to operate at a very high gain.
However, the perpendicular component detected by the detector is not only caused by the depolarization induced by slip lines but it is also caused by scattering of light. Due to the imperfectness of the wafer surface such as surface roughness or impurities, the polarized light is scattered. In particular, patterns from the semiconductor device, such as trenches and other structures, will cause light scattering. As a consequence, the polarized light will change its polarization direction or will even become unpolarized.
The momentary parallel and perpendicular components of this scattered light will, then, be detected by both detectors. If the amount of scattered light exceeds the true signal by magnitudes, as it is, in particular, the case when the wafers are already patterned, the amplifiers start to work non-linear or are driven into saturation. In both cases, the amplifiers become blind for the weak signal representing the true depolarization effect.
The difficulties arising during a scanning infrared depolarization measurement can partially be avoided when the measurement is performed before structures, such as trenches, that will largely cause light scattering are patterned. However, the amount of dislocations and slip lines will still increase during and after the trench formation because during the trench formation also heat processing steps are performed.
Accordingly, a measurement before the trench formation will cause false measurement results.
Moreover, such a measurement will avoid scattering due to trenches. However, scattering due to impurities or surface roughness cannot be suppressed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an apparatus and method for detecting an amount of depolarization of a linearly polarized beam that overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and that improves the detection of an amount of depolarization of a linearly polarized beam and improves the determination of an internal stress field in a semiconductor wafer.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an apparatus for detecting an amount of depolarization of a linearly polarized beam transmitted by a birefringent medium, including a first beam splitter for separating a first portion of the transmitted beam into orthogonal components, a first set of at least two photodetectors for detecting a respective one of the orthogonal components separated by the first beam splitter, a second beam splitter for separating a second portion of the transmitted beam into orthogonal components, wherein the second beam splitter is disposed off-axis of the incident linearly polarized beam, a second set of at least two photodetectors for detecting a respective one of the orthogonal components separated by the second beam splitter, and a subtracting device for subtracting the signals received by the second set of photodetectors from the respective signals received by the first set of photodetectors.
Preferably, the linearly polarized beam is transmitted in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the birefringent medium and the first portion of the transmitted beam is an on-axis portion and the second portion of the transmitted beam is an off-axis portion.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the first beam splitter separates an on-axis portion of the transmitted beam into the first orthogonal components and the second beam splitter separates an off-axis portion of the transmitted beam into the second orthogonal components.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the linearly polarized beam has an axis and the second beam splitter is disposed at an angle of between approximately 3° and approximately 5° off the axis.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, there is provided an amplifier connected to the subtracting device, the subtracting device supplying an output signal to the amplifier.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the subtracting device is a lock-in amplifier.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided an apparatus for detecting an amount of depolarization of a linearly polarized beam transmitted by a birefringent medium, including a first beam splitter for separating a first portion of the transmitted beam into first orthogonal components, a first set of at least two photodetectors for detecting a respective one of the first orthogonal components separated by the first beam splitter, the first set of at least two photodetectors
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