Document Type

Article

Rights

Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Disciplines

Electrical and electronic engineering

Publication Details

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics Volume 13, Issue 6 , 2002 p. 315-318.

DOI: 10.1023/A:1015699328084

Abstract

Precise chemical analysis (PCA) was developed to allow the study of non-interconnected atoms on crystalline semiconductor surfaces, such as those produced during rapid thermal processing (RTP) of silicon and electron beam lithography on gallium arsenide (GaAs). The PCA method is based on selectively dissolving the different components present on the semiconductor surface using preferential etchant solutions. After etching, the etchant solution, containing the etched component, is analyzed by a photometric technique. In this paper, we present photometric measurements of the amount of “free” (non-interconnected) atoms that remain on semiconductor surfaces following electron beam and RTP processing. In this context, “free” atoms are those presenting in any form other than crystalline GaAs or Si, for instance, those in the form of surface oxides. Using the PCA method, free Ga and As were detected on GaAs surfaces after electron beam lithography. Free silicon, boron and phosphorous atoms were found on silicon surfaces after RTP. The concentration of boron diffused into a silicon wafer during RTP was also carried out by means of slight surface etching. We estimate the accuracy of this PCA method at 2% for Ga and 5% for all other elements.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015699328084

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