NANOSCALE CHARACTERIZATION OF SEMICONDUCTOR-MATERIALS AND DEVICES USING SCANNING PROBE TECHNIQUES

Scanning probe techniques are applied to a rapidly growing degree in t he characterization of advanced semiconductor materials and device str uctures. In this review, the fundamental principles of scanning tunnel ing microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and other scanning probe tech niques are described. The application of these techniques to the chara cterization of III-V and Group IV semiconductor epitaxial growth and e pitaxial layer structure is discussed, with particular emphasis on the elucidation of epitaxial growth mechanisms, and on the atomic-scale c haracterization of interface and alloy layer structure in III-V hetero structures by cross-sectional techniques. Nanoscale characterization o f buried metal-semiconductor and semiconductor-semiconductor interface s using ballistic electron emission microscopy is also addressed. Fina lly, a detailed discussion is included concerning the use of scanning probe techniques for nanometer-scale characterization of ultrasubmicro n Si electronic devices - a problem of central importance in ultralarg e-scale integrated circuit technology for the coming decade and beyond . Throughout the review, emphasis is placed on the role of scanning pr obe microscopy in relation to other semiconductor characterization tec hniques, the influence of various atomic- to nanometer-scale material properties on semiconductor device behavior, and the importance in man y instances of theoretical modeling and simulation in the interpretati on of results obtained using scanning probe techniques.