Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Of individual circuit component or element
Patent
1998-06-10
2000-04-25
Karlsen, Ernest
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
Of individual circuit component or element
324719, 356447, 374 5, G01R 31308, G01N 2100, G01N 2572
Patent
active
060548681
ABSTRACT:
An apparatus measures a property of a layer (such as the sheet resistance of a conductive layer or thermal conductivity of a dielectric layer that is located underneath the conductive layer) by performing the following method: (1) focusing the heating beam on the heated a region (also called "heated region") of the conductive layer (2) modulating the power of the heating beam at a predetermined frequency that is selected to be sufficiently low to ensure that at least a majority (preferably all) of the generated heat transfers out of the heated region by diffusion, and (3) measuring the power of another beam that is (a) reflected by the heated region, and (b) modulated in phase with modulation of the heating beam. The measurement in act (3) can be used directly as a measure of the resistance (per unit length) of a conductive line formed by patterning the conductive layer. Acts (1)-(3) can be repeated during fabrication of a semiconductor wafer, at each of a number of regions on a conductive line, and any change in measurement indicates a corresponding change in resistance of the line. When the measurement changes by more than a predetermined amount (e.g. by 10%), a process parameter that controls the fabrication process is changed to return the measurement to normal in the next wafer. Moreover, the thermal conductivity of the dielectric layer can be measured, or monitored for changes beyond a predetermined limit during a scan across the wafer, if resistance is known.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4255971 (1981-03-01), Rosencwaig
patent: 4521118 (1985-06-01), Rosencwaig
patent: 4579463 (1986-04-01), Rosencwaig et al.
patent: 4632561 (1986-12-01), Rosencwaig et al.
patent: 4636088 (1987-01-01), Rosencwaig et al.
patent: 4710030 (1987-12-01), Tauc et al.
patent: 4750822 (1988-06-01), Rosencwaig et al.
patent: 4854710 (1989-08-01), Opsal et al.
patent: 4950990 (1990-08-01), Moulder et al.
patent: 4952063 (1990-08-01), Opsal et al.
patent: 5042951 (1991-08-01), Gold et al.
patent: 5042952 (1991-08-01), Opsal et al.
patent: 5074669 (1991-12-01), Opsal
patent: 5159412 (1992-10-01), Willenborg et al.
patent: 5181080 (1993-01-01), Fanton et al.
patent: 5228776 (1993-07-01), Smith et al.
patent: 5667300 (1997-09-01), Mandelis et al.
patent: 5978074 (1999-11-01), Opsal et al.
J. Kolzer et al.: "Thermal Imaging and Measurement Techniques for Electronic Materials and Devices" Microelectronic Engineering, vol. 31, 1996, pp. 251-270, XP004006637, Elsevier Publishers BV., Amsterdam, NL, ISSN: 0167-9317 (month unavailable).
C. Martinsons et al.: "Recent progress in the measurement of the thermal properties of hard coatings" Thin Solid Films, vol. 317, Apr. 1998, pp. 455-457, XP004147705, Elsevier-Sequoia S.A. Lausanne, CH, ISSN: 0040-6090.
Eikelboom et al., "Microwave Detection of Minority Carriers in Solar Cell Silicon Wafers", Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Elsevier Science B.V., Oct. 1995, pp. 169-185.
Grove, "Physics and Technology of Semiconductor Devices", John Wiley & Sons, Inc., (month unavailable) 1967, p. 326.
Jackson, "Classical Electrodynamics", John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1962, pp. 222-226.
Orton and Blood, "The Electrical Characterization of Semiconductors: Measurement of Minority Carrier Properties", Academic Press, (month unavailable) 1990, pp. 94-100.
Schroder, "Semiconductor Material and Device Characterization", John Wiley & Sons, Inc., (month unavailable) 1990, pp. 2-20, 84-85, 232-235, 304-306, 364, 367-374, 378-383.
Sze, "Physics of Semiconductor Devices", John Wiley & Sons, Inc., (month unavailable) 1981, pp. 50-51.
Paquin, "Properties of Metals", Handbook of Optics, vol. II, McGraw-Hill, Inc., (month unavailable) 1995, pp. 35.3-35.7.
Amirtharaj and Seiler, "Optical Properties of Semiconductors", Handbook of Optics, vol. II, McGraw-Hill, Inc., (month unavailable) 1995, pp. 36.67-36.68, 36.95, and Table 11.
Rosencwaig et al., "Detection of Thermal Waves Through Optical Reflectance", Appl. Phys. Lett. 46, Jun. 1985, pp. 1013-1015.
Rosencwaig, Allan, "Thermal-Wave Imaging", Science, vol. 218, No. 4569, Oct. 1982, pp. 223-228.
Opsal et al., "Thermal-Wave Detection and Thin Film Thickness Measurements with Laser Beam Deflection", Applied Optics, vol. 22, No. 20, Oct. 1983, pp. 3169-3176.
Rosencwaig, "Thermal Wave Characterization and Inspection of Semiconductor Materials and Devices",Chapter 5 (pp. 97-135) of Photoacoustic and Thermal Wave Phenomena in Semiconductors, North-Holland, (month unavailable) 1987.
"Process Monitoring System", Quantox Product Brochure, 3 pages, date prior to Jun. 10, 1998.
Borden Peter G.
Li Jiping
Boxer Cross Incorporated
Karlsen Ernest
Kwok Edward C.
Suryadevara Omkar K.
LandOfFree
Apparatus and method for measuring a property of a layer in a mu does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus and method for measuring a property of a layer in a mu, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus and method for measuring a property of a layer in a mu will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-996320