#Industry News
Characterizing the temperature-induced evolution of the shape and texture of a silicon wafer
Using Linkam’s precision temperature control chamber with Sensofar’s Linnik objective lens eliminates these problems and allows accurate measurement of 3D topographic profiles of nanoscale materials
In this case study, Linkam and Sensofar Metrology demonstrate their collaboration in producing an experimental setup for temperature-controlled optical profilometry experiments. This has historically been a difficult procedure due to imaging issues caused by spherical aberrations. Using Linkam’s precision temperature control chamber with Sensofar’s Linnik objective lens eliminates these problems and allows accurate measurement of 3D topographic profiles of nanoscale materials. Here, we observe the changes in the topography of silicon wafers as they evolve with temperatures from 20°C up to 380°C.
Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) is an important step in the manufacturing process of silicon wafers, in which the wafer is rapidly heated to high temperatures for a short period of time, then slowly cooled in a controlled manner, in order to impart the desired semiconducting properties to the wafer. However, RTP causes thermal stress which leads to other problems in photolithography that may affect the performance of the device, such as breakage due to thermal shock or dislocation of the molecular lattice. Understanding the behavior of a wafer under these conditions can help optimize the process, improving semiconductor properties and wafer durability.
A key method of evaluating the effects of temperature change during wafer manufacturing is to measure the surface roughness of the wafer as a function of temperature. To do this, the surface roughness is observed by an interferometry technique in conjunction with the use of a thermal chamber, allowing the temperature to be raised precisely to values similar to those during the manufacturing process while observing the sample through microscopy.
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