Semiconductors, Silicon Wafers, Patterned Wafers
Film defects are typically areas of missing films due to poor coating uniformity due to process conditions or from previous contamination left on the surface before the film was applied. These defects can result in sub-par performance and subsequent yield loss.
Larger areas of film defects can jeopardize the quality of the film layer or coating creating problems with film uniformity. On traditional microscopes, while it may appear that the film is uniform based on a small area of analysis, a full scan on the AT1 system can provide a more comprehensive view.
Particles on the surface of semiconductor substrates can be caused by many factors, usually during the cleaning or packaging phase. Each system is calibrated with PSL spheres on polished silicon. This process demonstrates the instrument's ability to detect particles down to 100nm.
