Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for texture analysis on semiconductor wafers

US6301330A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
2References
40Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 30, 1999
Grant dateOct 9, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 30, 2019

Classification

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

Abstract

An apparatus and method for performing rapid, high-resolution polycrystalline crystallographic texture analysis, by calculating an Orientation Distribution Function (ODF) from partial pole figures obtained from x-ray diffraction measurements on large samples, e.g., 200 millimeter diameter wafers. The measurement apparatus includes a 2-D area x-ray detector and a collimated x-ray source arranged in a specific, fixed spatial relationship dependant on the properties of the sample to be measured, and also includes a particular wafer motion assembly. The wafer motion assembly includes three mutually orthogonal rectilinear translation stages, and a .phi. rotation stage mounted thereon, as an uppermost motion stage, with its range restricted to 180.degree. of rotation. .theta.-2.theta. and .chi. motions are eliminated, and the close deployment of the x-ray source and area detector to the measuring spot on the wafer is such that the detector covers a sufficient range of 2.theta. and .chi. to capture multiple diffraction arcs in each frame. The invention employs a new and advantageous texture analysis protocol to determine ODF from the severely truncated pole figures thus obtained, through …

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