Specific Process Knowledge/Characterization/Profiler

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Dektak XTA_new stylus profiler

The newer Dektak XTA stylus profiler is usable for profiling surfaces of samples with structures in the micro- and nanometer range. A profil measurement can be done in a specific point by using a high magnification camera to locate the structure. It is also possible to program the stylus to measure in several positions, defined with respect to some deskew points. Stress measurements of thin films can be done by measuring the wafer bow.

A rough overview of the performance of Dektak XTA_new

Purpose	Profiler for measuring micro structures.	Single point profiles Wafer mapping Stress measurements by measuring wafer bow Surface roughness on a line scan
Performance	Scan range x y	Line scan x: 50 µm to 55 mm in a single scan, up to 200 mm with stiching
	Scan range z	50 Å to 1 mm
	Resolution xy	down to 0.003 µm
	Resolution z	1Å, 10Å, 80Å or 160Å (for ranges 65kÅ, 655 kÅ, 5240 kÅ and 1mm respectively)
	Max. scan depth as a function of trench width W	1.2(W[µm]-5µm)
Hardware settings	Tip radius	5 µm 45^o cone
Substrates	Substrate size	up to 6"
	Substrate material allowed	In principle all materials

Dektak 8 stylus profiler

Dektak 8 stylus profiler is a product of Veeco Instruments. It is usable for profiling surfaces of samples with structures in the micrometer range. It can measure in a specific point found with help from high magnification video cameras or it can be programmed to measure several points defined with respect to some deskew points. It can also be used for stress measurements of thin films by measuring the wafer bow.

To get some product information and some tips and tricks from the vendor take a look at Veeco's homepage [1]

A rough overview of the performance of Dektak 8 stylus profiler

Purpose	Profiler for measuring micro structures.	Single point profiles Wafer mapping Stress measurements by measuring wafer bow Surface roughness on a line scan
Performance	Scan range xy	Line scan x: 50 µm to 100 mm
	Scan range z	50 Å to 1 mm
	Resolution xy	down to 0.067 µm
	Resolution z	1Å, 10Å, 40Å or 160Å (for ranges 65kÅ, 655 kÅ, 2620 kÅ and 1mm respectively)
	Max. scan depth as a function of trench width W	1.2(W[µm]-5µm)
Hardware settings	Tip radius	5 µm 45^o cone
Performance	Substrate size	up to 8"
Performance	Substrate material allowed	In principle all materials

Optical Profiler (Sensofar)

The PLu Neox 3D Optical Profiler (from Sensofar) has a dual-technology sensor head that combines confocal and interferometry techniques as well as thick and thin film measurement capabilities.

The Neox sensor head provides standard microscope imaging, confocal imaging, confocal profiling, PSI (Phase Shift Interferometry), VSI (Vertical Scanning Interferometry) and high resolution thin film thickness measurements on a single instrument.

The main purpose is 3D topographic imaging of surfaces, step height measurements in smaller trenches/holes than can be obtained with standard stylus methods (i.e. with aspect ratios higher that 1:1), roughness measurements with larger FOV (Field Of View) than the AFM, but less horisontal resolution.

For most samples the optical profiler provides fast and easy information without any sample preparation. However, it can be necessary to cover thin transparent layers (< 2 µm) with a thin layer of metal.

The resolution is limited by the objectives and the pixel resolution. Also the depth of focus is limited, especially for higher magnifications.

The user manual, technical information and contact information can be found in LabManager:

Optical profiler (Sensofar) info page in LabManager

Process Information

Results from the Optical Profiler (Sensofar) acceptance test

Equipment performance and process related parameters

Equipment		Optical profiler
Purpose	3D topographic imaging of surfaces.	3D imaging of surfaces Roughness measurements Step height measurements 3D topographic measurements Thick and thin film thickness measurements in small spots (down to 4 µm)
Posibilities	Confocal and interferometric profiling and reflectometry	Standard microscope imaging Confocal imaging Confocal profiling PSI (Phase Shift Interferometry) VSI (Vertical Scanning Interferometry) High resolution thin film thickness measurement using reflectrometry Stitched scans Wafer mapping
Performance	Depending on the objective chosen	See the performance of the different objectives here:
Substrates	Substrate size	Substrates no bigger than 150 mm x 150mm
	Substrate materials allowed	In principle all materials

Comparing the profilers

Take a look at the topographic measurement page.