Nuclear Microprobe Application in Semiconductor Process Developments
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Scanning Microscopy Volume 6 Number 1 Article 11 1-25-1992 Nuclear Microprobe Application in Semiconductor Process Developments Mikio Takai Osaka University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/microscopy Part of the Biology Commons Recommended Citation Takai, Mikio (1992) "Nuclear Microprobe Application in Semiconductor Process Developments," Scanning Microscopy: Vol. 6 : No. 1 , Article 11. Available at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/microscopy/vol6/iss1/11 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western Dairy Center at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Scanning Microscopy by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Scanning Microscopy, Vol. 6, No. 1, 1992 (Pages 147-156) 0891-7035/92$5.00+ .00 Scanning Microscopy International, Chicago (AMF O'Hare), IL 60666 USA NUCLEAR MICROPROBE APPLICATION IN SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESS DEVELOPMENTS Milcio Takai Faculty of Engineering Science and Research Center for Extreme Materials, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560, Japan (Received for publication May 6, 1991, and in revised form January 25, 1992) Abstract Introduction Scanning nuclear microprobes using Ion beam analysis with Rutherford Rutherford backscattering (RBS) with light ions backscattering (RBS) and channeling has been have been applied to semiconductor process steps, successfully used for device process development in which minimum feature sizes of several in the early stage of application of ion microns down to submicron and multi-layered implantation in semiconductors [30-33]. Such structures were used. Two or three dimensional studies have substantially enhanced today's CMOS RBS mapping of processed semiconductor layers (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) such as multi-layered wiring, semiconductor-on technology for IC's. Following this early time, insulator (SOI), focused ion implanted layers, and the feature size of IC's has shrunk from several laser processed layers, has clearly revealed process microns down to submicron dimensions, where failures and inhomogeneity in buried layers scanning microscopy using electron beams such as without layer removal processes. Radiation SEM and Auger has played an important role for damage due to the probe beams was found to be developing and inspecting IC structures with small induced by high probe doses at and above minimum-feature-size. 101 7 /cm 2, in which the degradation of Such electron beam probes, however, can crystallinity by probe beams differs between Si detect only the top surface of device structures. and GaAs. Such techniques also suffer charge-up effects for insulating layers on device structures. Furthermore, three dimensional structures such as multi-layered wiring or semiconductor-on insulator (SOI) structures [34] require not only lateral but also in-depth information without using layer removal processes such as sputtering. Future maskless semiconductor processes such as maskless doping, etching and deposition using focused ion or laser beams must be locally analyzed to optimize their process steps. Ion scanning microprobes with RBS, on the Key Words: nuclear microprobe, Rutherford other hand, can provide information on the atomic backscattering (RBS), RBS tomography, RBS composition and distribution of both matrix mapping, channeling contrast mapping, focused materials and impurity atoms beneath insulating ion beam, three dimensional analysis, layers substantially without suffering charge-up semiconductor, wiring, maskless process. effects [5,27,43]. Local crystallinity in a semiconductor substrate can also be analyzed when Address for correspondence: RBS and channeling are combined with ion Mikio Takai, Faculty of Engineering Science, microprobes [26,28]. Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560, Japan In this study, nuclear microprobes with light Phone: +81-6-844-1151 ions have been applied to semiconductor process Fax: +81-6-857-7664 steps such as multi-layered wiring, SOI, maskless 147 M. Takai ion implantation, and laser chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Problems arising from the nuclear microprobe measurement such as radiation ji H,ees soec<c,, damage due to probe beams are clarified. YIELD : ' : ' RBS tomogropny L=.::=:::==:;;r:·... --- Experimental 0 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I x-(Y/4..-.---------t' I I I I I I I Two beam lines were used for nuclear I I I I I I I z I I II I I I microprobe analysis with proton and helium ions. I I I I I I I One was connected with a 2 Me V Van de Graaff [9,14-16,22,35,36,39] and the other with a 500 ke V Disktron (rotating-disk type accelerator) connected also with a UHV (ultra high vacuum) chamber and toroidal energy analyzer [l-3, 10- 13,38,40]. The beam optics for the microprobes Figure 1. Schematic of RBS mapping and in the two beam lines consisted of variable object tomography with microbearns slits and a quadrupole doublet with a minimum beam spot diameter of less than 1 micron at FWHM (full width at half maximum) and a peaks due to gold stripe patterns in each of the current of 100 pA [9-12,35,38,41]. The beam layers. The 2nd and the 3rd Au signals overlap current was reduced to suppress radiation damage because the thickness of the insulating layer during measurement as mentioned elsewhere between two Au layers is thinner than that of the [13,42]. RBS and channeling were mostly used 1st and the 3rd insulating layers. The RBS with microprobes because analysis of mapping images corresponding to the test semiconductor process steps required good lateral structure can be obtained by setting four energy and in-depth resolutions [9,35,36]. Figure 1 shows windows for each of the RBS peaks as in Fig. 2b. the schematic of RBS mapping [9,35] and Although the image of the 1st layer is clearly tomography (or cross-sectional mapping) [19,21] obtained in Fig. 2c, the influence of the surface Au used in this study. A microprobe is scanned over layer causes a difference in beam paths of incident the sample. The RBS spectrum for each of the and scattered particles, giving rise to the microprobe positions is stored in memory. RBS broadening of the spectrum width, which broadens mapping at a required depth (or energy) can be of the patterns in the images of the lower layers. obtained by selecting yields in the appropriate It should be noted that four-layered wiring images channels of micro RBS spectra in each of the can be nondestructively obtained within 20 to 30 microprobe positions or pixels (as in Fig. 1). The min with a probe dose of 3 - 8 x I015/cm2. cross-sectional information (RBS tomography) can Figure 3 shows the cross-sectional view of a be obtained by selecting a set of micro RBS similar structure shown in Fig.2 and spectra in a required line [19,21]. corresponding RBS tomography for two different planes: one is a scan along the gold stripe (a) and Results and Discussion the other along the silicon dioxide layer (b). The vertical axis stands for the channel number of the Multi-layered wiring isolated with insulating micro RBS spectrum (i.e., energies of scattered layers. One of the most important problems for particles), corresponding to a depth scale. The recent IC structures is multi-layered structures for horizontal axis stands for positions of the wiring [9,14,15,19,23,37], which consist of metal microprobe. Therefore, the mapping images show lines isolated with insulating layers such as silicon the tomograph of the gold stripe patterns. Because dioxide or nitride. Figure 2 shows the schematic of the difference in paths of the microprobe beam, of a test structure representing multi-layered the location of images of the second to fourth wiring (a), a corresponding RBS spectrum (b), layers in Fig.3b-(b) shifts by about 10 channels to and RBS mapping images (c) for each of 4 gold higher energy compared to the Fig.3b-(a). stripe layers. The test structure has four layers of Therefore it is necessary to take account of the gold (Au) stripe patterns offset by 45 degrees with influence of the upper layer for correcting such respect to each other to correctly identify each deformation of the images. However, the cross layer by RBS mapping images. The RBS spectrum sectional structure of multi-layered wiring can be obtained with a defocused beam shows three major clearly imaged without cleaving the sample. 148 Microprobe Application in Semiconductor Development Si02 Au (width, 7µm, interval, 20µm) 1st layer 180/\ 2nd layer 1soA Au layer 180.A .., 3rd layer 180A ,aoJ.. .. 2 4th layer 180A ,aoJ.. .,3 ,aoJ.. .,4 (a) Si (Width, 7µm, interval, 20µm) 4000 ~--~--~--~---r----r, (a) He' 1.5MeV 3 2 540nC 4 ,:, 2000 a, ;;:: ........... 0 '-----'-----'------"--~~~-~ 0 100 200 Channel Number (b) (a) 200 1st layer ,·-. ,.._;' 150 •' <i . t~~~~(ifil•;~!H: counts (l'. ..i,("!".: ";, w 8 Q) '~~~t,~~¾- ~ 100 ·t~,:-·.·::··~-:, z _J w 2nd layer z ~ 200 :r: u 0 I 150 3rd layer 100 counts ..---, --- 16 l0µm 0 64 YIELD (counts) 4th layer (b) l0µm Figure 3. Schematic of a test structure for multi (c) layered wiring, showing a cross-sectional view (a), and corresponding RBS tomography (b) Figure 2. Schematic of a test structure for multi layered wiring insulated with silicon dioxide layers (a), corresponding RBS spectrum with a defocused probe beam (b) and two dimensional mapping with a focused probe beam(c) 149 M. Takai Semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) Structure. Si by nuclear microprobes with RBS within 60 - Figure 4a shows the top and cross-sectional views 90 min. of a semiconductor-on-insulator structure Although channeling mapping (or contrast) [21,23 ,24,34] consisting of germanium island images [26,28] are not discussed, such techniques patterns on a silicon dioxide insulating layer with a provide powerful information on localized silicon dioxide capping layer.