Thin Film Analysis
Thin Film Analysis - Semiconductor XRD Applications
Our laboratries use X-ray analysis to characterize thin film material properties such as composition, orientation, and stress/strain at the molecular level. X-ray diffraction (XRD) is the definitive non-desctructive technique for sub-surface analysis. We offer the highest level of laboratory Thin Film Analysis Services and provide a full range of other related Services. We also make it easy to procure our Thin Film Analysis Services and will work with your
AMIA Laboratories uses X-ray
analysis to characterize thin film material properties such as composition, orientation, and stress/strain at the molecular level. X-ray diffraction (XRD) is the definitive non-destructive technique for sub-surface analysis.
Crystallographic texture affects electrical and magnetic properties. Pole figures describe the orientation of crystallites in a material. Most electronic thin films exhibit fiber texture, which implies an axially-symmetric pole figure. AMIA Laboratories typically uses fiber texture plots to quantify primary texture strength, % random, and secondary orientations.
In-plane and out-of-plane stress, and normal micro-strain can influence magnetic properties of thin films and the reliability of devices. Mechanical stresses in interconnect lines, which arise from differences in thermal expansion between the metallic interconnect and the substrate that rigidly confines it, vary with different fabri
cation methods and aspect ratios. AMIA Laboratories has developed micro-beam stress techniques to characterize features as small as 50 µm on patterned wafers. Blanket film strain measurements are also available.
Unlike conventional X-ray diffraction, reflectometry is a "reflection" experiment in which X-rays are reflected off of the sample at glancing angles in much the same way that visible light is reflected. Film thickness, density and interfacial roughness are obtained from this modeling method.
In an attempt to produce completely amorphous films, processing techniques can induce crystallite growth resulting in either small well formed crystallites or crystallites with defined structure in only one or two dimensions. AMIA Laboratories measures and reports a % crystallinity for single films or film stacks, as well as provides information about the crystallite size and structure.
As thin films are deposited, the deposition conditions influence the crystallinity and crystallographic phases forming. AMIA Labs specializes in phase identification of oriented thin films and barriers, and films with low crystallinity or crystallite size. Identification of phases such as Ta2N, TaN, WSi2, etc… is typically done using a 2-D detector observing a large section of the Debye ring, in order to identify all on axis and off axis peaks and weak peaks.
With the remarkable progress of thin film technology comes a need to characterize crystal materials that range from Silicon to III-V compound semiconductors. AMIA Labs provides HRXRD, including high resolution rocking curves (0.36 arc sec resolution), crystal composition ratio, lattice strain, lattice distortion and mosaicity, and reciprocal space
maps. Measurements are accomplished using the Rigaku ATX-G high resolution diffractometer (see the Rigaku XRD page at
www.Rigakumsc.com for further details).
Thin Film Caraceterization Systems
X-ray diffraction can probe the film properties at the molecular level to
provide information about the orientation of a film with respect or another film
in the stack, film stress, film thickness, density and roughness, as well as
phase identification, % crystallinity and crystallite size.
Since the two-dimensional image plate detector used by AMIA can collect large sections of many diffraction cones simultaneously, a complete range of grain orientations are observed. The texture direction and strength of multiple films can be qualified and quantified by the use of partial pole figures and fiber texture plots.
Complete composite pole figure of (111) Cu on (100) Si, and fiber texture plot for Cu film.
Fiber texture plots yield a pole spread, % random grain fraction, and volume fraction of grains with secondary orientations normal to the film surface.
Story Title
AMIA Laboratories also specializes in XRR (X-Ray Reflectometry) for film
thickness, roughness and density. Traditionally, XRR was suitable for layers
between 100 Å and 4000 Å. However, AMIA Laboratories has championed the use of High Resolution X-ray Reflectivity (HR-XRR) in its ATX series of instruments. Thus, AMIA Laboratories is able to accurately characterize films between 50 Å and 7000 Å.
XRR curve for TaN/SiO2/Si (substrate)
AMIA Laboratories also provides phase identification on crystalline films, to determine the exact structure of TaNx or CoSix, etc.. , % crystallinity on highly amorphous films, and crystallite size.
Application Notes are available on the following Thin Film topics: