No CrossRef data available.
Article contents
Non-contact Corona-Kelvin based Metrology for High-k Dielectric Characterization with an Extension to Micro-Scale Measurement
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
Abstract
In-line monitoring of the electrical properties of high-k dielectrics in logic or memory fab-lines has become increasingly important in the semiconductor industry. Non-contact corona-Kelvin based metrology can be used to affectively monitor in-line key dielectric properties. Furthermore, we present an important extension of this metrology to the micro-scale that allows measurement of dielectric properties on test sites as small as 40μm × 70μm. This is achieved through miniaturization of the corona charging apparatus and of the Kelvin probe without a sacrifice in precision or repeatability. Corona-Kelvin micro-metrology allows for the monitoring of the critical dielectric properties directly on product wafers that can then be returned to the fab-line for continued processing. Application examples are given for dielectric capacitance of advanced dielectrics and for the properties of an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) memory structure. In the latter case we demonstrate programming and erasing of the ONO structure realized by corona charging. We also use the measured flatband voltage and total charge to identify the location of the programmed charge at the first SiO2/Si3N4 interface in the ONO structure.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- Copyright
- Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006
References
2
Schroder, D., Semiconductor Material and Device Characterization, 3rd ed. (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, 2006) pp. 523–562 and references there-in.Google Scholar
3
Wilson, M., Lagowski, J., D'Amico, J., Edelman, P. and Savtchouk, A. in Physics and Technology of High-k Gate Diectrics II, edited by Kar, S., Singh, R., Misra, D., Iwai, H., Houssa, M., Morais, J., and Landheer, D., (The Electrochemical Society Proc. Vol. 2003–22, Pennington, NJ, 2003).Google Scholar
4
Edelman, P., Savtchouk, A., Wilson, M., D'Amico, J., Kochey, J.N., Marinskiy, D. and Lagowski, J. in Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology 2003, edited by Seiler, D., Diebold, A., Shaffner, T., McDonald, R., Zollner, S., Khosla, R. and Secula, E., (AIP Conf. Proc. 683, 2003) pp. 160–165.Google Scholar
5
Storbeck, O., Hayn, R. and Pethe, W. in The 13 th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Thermal Processing of Semiconductors – RTP 2005 (IEEE Conf. Proc. 04-07, 2005) pp. 121–127.Google Scholar
6
Edelman, P., et al. in Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing (11th International Conference on Defects: Recognition, Imaging and Physics in Semiconductors, Beijing, China, 2005) in press.Google Scholar
7
Lagowski, J., Edelman, P., Marinskiy, D., Kochey, J.N. and Almeida, C., A Non-Contact Method for Acquiring Charge-Voltage Data on Miniature Test Areas of Semiconductor Product Wafers, U.S. Patent pending.Google Scholar
9
Lagowski, J., Wilson, M. and Savtchouk, A., Method for Measuring Stress-Induced Leakage Current and Gate Dielectric Integrity Using Corona Discharge, U.S. Patent No. 6,538,462 (25 March 2003).Google Scholar
10
Lagowski, J., Savtchouk, A., D'Amico, J., Wilson, M. and Jastrzebski, L., Steady-State Method for Measuring the Thickness and the Capacitance of Ultra-thin Dielectrics in the Presence of Substantial Leakage Current, U.S. Patent No. 6,680,621 (20, January 2004).Google Scholar