Qc Solutions, Inc.

Other

Semitest, Inc.

Nanometrics Inc.

Optical Diagnostic Systems, Inc.

Gte Laboratories Incorporated

Emil Kamieniecki

Jerzy Ruzyllo

William C Goldfarb

Leszek Reiss

Janusz Butkiewicz

Krzysztof E Kamieniecki

Mike Wollowitz

Jeffrey L Sauer

Michael Wollowitz

A Defect Specific Lifetime Analysis (DSLA) can measure electrostatic hole trapping characteristics of semiconductors to identify crystals for use in radiation detectors. A semiconductor crystal with high electrostatic hole trapping can be employed in radiation detectors having simplified signal processing circuits and/or high radiation energy measurement resolution.

Electrostatic hole trapping radiation detectors

A radiation detector includes a block of a material capable of interacting with ionizing radiation to produce charge carriers, an inductor positioned adjacent to the block and having an inductance that depends on a number of the charge carriers in the block, and a sensing circuit coupled to sense a change in the inductance and detect the ionizing radiation base on the change. The sensing circuit may particularly contain an RF synthesizer that drives the inductance, e.g., an LC circuit containing the inductance, and an analyzer that detects changes in the response of the inductance.

Inductive radiation detector

The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus that enable characterization of an electrical property of a semiconductor specimen, e.g., dopant concentration of a near-surface region of the specimen. In exemplary method, a target depth for measurement is selected. This thickness may, for example, correspond to a nominal production thickness of a thin active device region of the specimen. A light is adjusted to an intensity selected to characterize a target region of the specimen having a thickness no greater than the target depth and a surface of the specimen is illuminated with the light. An AC voltage signal induced in the specimen by the light is measured and this AC voltage may be used to quantify an aspect of the electrical property, e.g., to determine dopant concentration, of the target region.

Apparatus and method for electrical characterization by selecting and adjusting the light for a target depth of a semiconductor

A method for characterizing the electronic properties of a semiconductor sample by exploiting transients in measured photoconductance, the transients being induced by illuminating the semiconductor sample with a small probing illumination that is superimposed over a larger background illumination. In one embodiment, a pulse-type probing illumination is utilized, with either the intensity of the probing illumination being gradually reduced or the intensity of the background illumination being gradually increased until the measured photoconductance rise and decay in the sample are substantially exponential. In another embodiment, a continuous probing illumination with a sinusoidally-modulated intensity is utilized, the modulated intensity of the probing illumination being gradually adjusted until the measured photoconductance is linearly dependent thereupon.

Electrical characterization of semiconductor materials

A system and method for characterizing electronic properties of a semiconductor sample includes illuminating the surface of the semiconductor sample with a pulse of light, measuring a photoconductance decay in the semiconductor sample after the cessation of the first pulse of light, and analyzing the photoconductance decay. The electronic properties include properties associated with at least one of the bulk of the semiconductor sample and the surface of the semiconductor sample. The pulse of light has a predetermined duration and photon energy higher than energy gap of the semiconductor. The analyzing step determines a first component of the photoconductance decay substantially associated with point imperfections in the semiconductor sample and at least one second component of the photoconductance decay substantially associated with extended imperfections in the semiconductor sample.

An apparatus and method for the real-time, in-line testing of semiconductor wafers during the manufacturing process. In one embodiment the apparatus includes a probe assembly within a semiconductor wafer processing line. As each wafer passes adjacent the probe assembly, a source of modulated light, within the probe assembly, having a predetermined wavelength and frequency of modulation, impinges upon the wafer. A sensor in the probe assembly measures the surface photovoltage induced by the modulated light. A computer then uses the induced surface photovoltage to determine various electrical characteristics of the wafer.

Real-time in-line testing of semiconductor wafers

An apparatus for surface treating a semiconductor wafer includes a surface treatment chamber and a source of radiation. The semiconductor wafer disposed inside the chamber is illuminated with radiation sufficient to create a plurality of electron-hole pairs near the surface of the wafer and to desorb ions and molecules adsorbed on the surface of the wafer.

Apparatus and method for rapid photo-thermal surfaces treatment

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for simulating a surface photo-voltage, more particularly with a photodiode on a process sized disk for calibrating surface photo-voltage measurement devices. The device for simulating a surface photo-voltage includes the photodiode, the disk, a resistor, and may further include an operational amplifier. The apparatus for simulating a surface photo-voltage of the current invention facilitates calibration of surface photo-voltage measurement devices by using a process sized disk to fit directly on a surface photo-voltage measurement chuck.

Method and apparatus for simulating a surface photo-voltage in a substrate

An apparatus for surface treating a semiconductor wafer includes a surface treatment chamber and a source of radiation. The semiconductor wafer disposed inside the c amber is illuminated with radiation sufficient to create a plurality of electron-hole pairs near the surface of the wafer and to desorb ions and molecules adsorbed on the surface of the wafer.

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Lexington, MA, United States of America

Emil Kamieniecki