Ultra thin film sputter depth profiling

Abstract

As semiconductor device geometry continues to shrink, new ultra thin material systems are developed. One such structure is a thin silicon oxy-nitride (ONO) film used in memory devices. Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), because of its extreme surface sensitivity (small sampling depth), is routinely used to study thin ONO structures. However, interpretation and quantification of SIMS data is often difficult because of matrix effects that impact the secondary ion yield of different chemical species. With the Quantum 2000 Scanning ESCA Microprobe^TM, it is possible to obtain surface sensitivity equivalent to SIMS, using a low (20°) photoelectron take-off angle. The resulting ESCA data contain quantitative chemical state information that is difficult to obtain by other methods.