Various high-performance thin films can be analyzed at such a high sensitivity level that silicon oxide films are analyzed.
We have established a technique that can measure the quantities of metallic
impurities not only in conventional silicon thin films (e.g. silicon oxide films)
but also in thin films made of next-generation materials (non-silicon thin films)
with excellent reproducibility to the contamination control concentration level
of 108 to 109 atoms/cm2 indicated in the semiconductor
international technology road map etc. |
| Kind of film |
 |
Various high-k gate oxide films (HfO2, Al2O3, HfAlO, HfSiO,
ZrO2, etc.)
Various ferroelectric films (Ta2O5, PZT, STO, etc.)
Various electrode materials (Co, W, WSi, Ti, TiN, SiGe, etc.) |
|
Examples of minimum limits of quantitative determination
of various thin films
(300-mm wafers) |
| (x1010
atoms/cm2) |
| Element/film |
HfO2 |
TiN |
Ta2O5 |
Na |
0.59 |
<0.4 |
0.53 |
Al |
6.0 |
<0.3 |
5.3 |
K |
<0.04 |
0.12 |
0.54 |
Cr |
<0.03 |
<0.03 |
1.1 |
Fe |
<0.03 |
0.25 |
0.23 |
Ni |
<0.03 |
<0.06 |
0.04 |
Cu |
0.64 |
0.19 |
0.04 |
Zn |
<0.05 |
<0.1 |
<0.05 |
|
| * In addition to these elements, the quantities of various
elements, e.g. Mg, Mn, Ti, Co and W, can be determined. (As of Aug., 2003) |
|
