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Oxide-Semiconductor Interface Characterization Using Kelvin Probe-AFM In Combination With Corona-Charge Deposition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Bert Lägel,
Maria D. Ayala,
Elena Oborina and
Rudy Schlaf
Bert Lägel
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Fl 33620
Maria D. Ayala
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Fl 33620
Elena Oborina
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Fl 33620
Rudy Schlaf*
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Fl 33620
*
** email: schlaf@eng.usf.edu
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Abstract

Corona charge deposition methods in combination with spatially resolved surface potential measurements have become a standard tool for Si oxide quality monitoring. Based on this technique oxide-semiconductor interface parameters such as surface barrier height, oxide thickness and oxide charge density can now be monitored in-line with commercially available devices. The ongoing downscaling of integrated circuits into the sub-100 nm regime makes the development of high resolution oxide screening methods increasingly important.

However, currently available commercial devices are limited in their spatial resolution since they employ the traditional vibrating Kelvin probe technique, restricting their lateral resolution to several μm. In order to increase the lateral resolution of this measurement method we have combined the corona-charge deposition technique with Kelvin Probe AFM. We present initial results of this novel measurement technique and demonstrate its feasibility by measurements on lithographically prepared oxide patterns on Si wafers with different oxide thicknesses.

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Footnotes

*

Undergraduate Research Associate

References

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