Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for measuring insulation film thickness of semiconductor wafer

US5568252A · kind A · utility

26Cited by
2References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 23, 1994
Grant dateOct 22, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 23, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2924/0002
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Reflectance measurement with two monochromatic light beams having different wavelengths is used to obtain curves respective representing the relationship between an insulation film thickness of a semiconductor wafer and the gap between a test electrode and a semiconductor wafer surface. The C-V curve measurement at a fixed gap determines a total capacity of the gap and the insulation film, and a straight line representing the relationship between the gap and the insulation film thickness is obtained from the total capacity. An intersection where the two curves and the straight line cross gives the true values of the gap and the insulation film thickness. Other possible methods include: one for executing the C-V curve measurement and the reflectance measurement with two linear polarized light beams having identical wavelengths but different polarization directions; one for executing the reflectance measurement with three monochromatic light beams that differ in at least wavelength and/or polarization direction; and one for executing the reflectance measurement and the C-V curve measurement for two different gaps.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.