A comparison between microwave reflectance, thermal wave modulated reflectance and defect etching for detecting transition metals in silicon

Abstract

The detection of transition metal contamination in silicon after rapid thermal annealing is examined using three different techniques. Two nondestructive methods — microwave reflectance and thermal wave modulated reflectance — are compared along with destructive defect etching with both the Sirtl and Wright etch. The same samples are analyzed by each technique. Microwave reflectance and Sirtl defect etching are found to be the most sensitive methods of those studied. Further comparisons are also made with the results of other metal contamination/rapid thermal annealing studies.