A new generation of monitoring tools offers real-time and noncontact d
iagnostics of plasma damage - especially dielectric charge build-up, r
adiation damage, and heavy-metal contamination. Testing relies on reus
able monitor wafers with 1000 Angstrom oxide, rather than on customize
d test structures. The new technique generates whole-wafer maps, which
are powerful diagnostic tools for correlating plasma damage with plas
ma-equipment characteristics. We report on the results obtained while
using the new monitoring approach at two independent semiconductor waf
er-fab locations.