Measuring techniques

Optical thickness measurements

Optically transparent layers and multi-layer systems such as photoresist and oxides but also SOI wafers can be measured using our microscope mounted spectroscopic reflectometer.

• Spectroscopic reflectometer NanoCalc-2000-UV/VIS (Micropack GmbH)
  • Layer thickness range: 10 nm - 20 µm
  • Wavelength region: 250-850 nm

Optical Microscopy

Different optical microscopes with a max. magnification up to 500x and equipped with bright- and dark-field imaging are used for inspection of wafer and sample surfaces after different processing steps. Some microscopes are additionally equipped with a CCD camera and digital image processing allowing the measurement and control of lateral dimensions in the µm-range, especially after photolithography.

• Microscopes: 
  • 3 x JENTECH Inspection (Carl Zeiss Jena)
  • 1 x OLYMPUS BX51 (Olympus Deutschland GmbH)
  • 2 x Stereo-microscope SMC4 (Acamia Werke rathenow GmbH)
  • 1 x Stereo-microscope (Dynavision Engineering Ltd.)
• Optical dimension measurement:
  • TSO-VID-MES-RY measuring system (Thalheim Spezialoptik Pulsnitz)
  • MFK II measuring system (Carl Zeiss Jena)

Surface profiling and roughness measurement

Stylus profilers are precise tools for step high measurement on both patterned thin and thick films and on patterned and etched semiconductor substrates in the range between 5 nm and 65 µm. Due to the variable scan length between 50 µm and 50 mm surface planarity, wafer flatness and film stress can be measured. Furthermore, the application of the surface profiler includes the measurement of the roughness of thin layers and of etched wafer surfaces.

Dektak 3 Surface Profiler (VEECO Instruments GmbH)

Electrical measurements (I/U-, MOS-C/V-measurements)

The electrical characteristics  of  semiconductor diodes, MOS capacitors and transistors are investigated by current-voltage (IU) and capacitance-voltage (CV) measurements on corresponding test and device structures. From these measurements conclusions can be done concerning the optimization of process developments including ion implantation and ion beam synthesis for the fabrication of new electronic and opto-electronic semiconductor devices.

For these purposes two measuring facilities are available:

• Manual prober, type MP5 (SÜSS MicroTech GmbH, Sacka)
  • Wafer diameter. up to 150 mm
  • Temperature: room temperature
  • 4 prober heads with test needles
  • Data collection and processing:
    •  PC-controlled configuration of the following devives (Keithley Instruments):
    • 237 High Voltage Source Measure Unit (SMU) for I/U-measurements
    • 590 CV Analyzer for 100 kHz HF-CV-measurements
    • Model 82-DOS Simultaneous CV for HF- and quasi-static C/V-measurements
    • Precision LCR-Meter HP 4284A (Hewlett Packard) for CV-measurements in the frequency range from 20 Hz up to 1 MHz
• Semi-automatic Prober, Typ PA200 (SÜSS MicroTech Test Systems GmbH, Sacka)
  • Wafer diameter: up to 200 mm
  • Temperature: -60 bis +300 °C (ATT Chuck System)
  • 6 prober heads test needles
  • Data collection and processing:
    • Semiconductor measuring system, Model 4200-SCS (Keithley Instruments) with following components:
      • 4 x SMU (including 2 x High Power SMU)
      • Ultra-Low-Current Switch Matrix 8x12
      • Dual-channel digital oscilloscope
      • Dual-channel pulse generator