Conductance-voltage (GV) based method for determining leakage current in dielectrics
a dielectric and leakage current technology, applied in the field of dielectric quality determination, can solve the problems of increasing the difficulty, cost and throughput of such measurements, and achieve the effect of improving the accuracy and accuracy of measurement results
Inactive Publication Date: 2005-05-05
SOLID STATE MEASUREMENTS
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Benefits of technology
"The invention is a method for determining the leakage current of a dielectric overlaying a semiconductor wafer. The method involves using a probe with a conductive tip to move into contact with the dielectric and applying a DC voltage with an AC voltage superimposed thereon. The changes in conductance of the semiconductor wafer and the dielectric as a function of changes in the voltage of the swept DC voltage are determined, and these changes are used to determine the leakage current of the dielectric. The method can be used to detect and measure the leakage current of the dielectric during the manufacturing process of semiconductor wafers."
Problems solved by technology
However, the use of separate instrumentation and probes increases the difficulty, cost and throughput of such measurements.
Method used
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[0020] The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying figures where like reference numbers correspond to like elements.
[0021] With reference to FIG. 1, an apparatus 2 for measuring leakage current of a dielectric, such as dielectric layer 4, overlaying a topside 6 of a semiconductor wafer 8 includes an electrically conductive vacuum chuck 10 for holding a backside 12 of semiconductor wafer 8 by means of a vacuum (not shown). Apparatus 2 also includes a probe 20 having a shaft 22 with a conductive tip 24 at one end thereof.
[0022] Contact forming means 30, of the type well known in the art, controls the vertical movement of chuck 10 and / or probe 20, in the directions shown by arrow 14, to move probe 20 and semiconductor wafer 8 toward each other whereupon a distal end 28 of conductive tip 24 presses into contact with dielectric 4. The combination of distal end 28 of conductive tip 24 in contact with dielectric 4 overlaying semiconductor wafer 8 forms a ca...
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Abstract
A leakage current of a dielectric overlaying a semiconductor wafer can be determined by moving a conductive probe into contact with the dielectric and applying an electrical stimulus, in the form of a fixed amplitude, fixed frequency AC voltage superimposed on a DC voltage which is swept from a starting voltage towards an ending voltage, between the probe tip and the semiconductor wafer. Conductance values associated with the dielectric and the semiconductor wafer can be determined from phase angles between the AC voltage and an AC current resulting from the applied AC voltage during the sweep of the DC voltage. The leakage current of the dielectric can then be determined from the thus determined conductance values.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to determining the quality of a dielectric on a semiconductor wafer. [0003] 2. Description of Related Art [0004] A semiconductor wafer utilized to form integrated circuits typically includes a dielectric overlaying a top surface of the semiconductor wafer. Prior to processing the semiconductor wafer to form arrays of integrated circuits thereon, it is desirable to determine various parameters associated with the dielectric. Two such parameters include equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) and leakage current (Ileak). [0005] Heretofore, separate instrumentation and probes were utilized to measure these parameters. However, the use of separate instrumentation and probes increases the difficulty, cost and throughput of such measurements. In addition, the measurement of leakage current heretofore required the use of two frequencies. [0006] It is, therefore, desirable to overcome the above proble...
Claims
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IPC IPC(8): G01N27/00G01N27/04G01R31/12G01R31/26G01R31/28H01L21/66
CPCG01R31/129G01R31/2831G01R31/2648
Inventor HILLARD, ROBERT J.
Owner SOLID STATE MEASUREMENTS