REAL-TIME MONITORING AND CONTROL OF EPITAXIAL SEMICONDUCTOR GROWTH INA PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT BY IN-SITU SPECTROSCOPIC ELLIPSOMETRY

To manufacture the next generation of epitaxially grown semiconductor device structures, real-time monitoring and control of the growth is c onsidered a necessity to achieve acceptable yields. In situ spectrosco pic ellipsometry (SE) has demonstrated sensitivity to important growth parameters, such as substrate temperature, layer thickness and compos ition; the literature also contains some examples of growth control by in situ SE. However, applying this characterization technique in a pr oduction environment presents a number of challenges. This article dis cusses these challenges and solutions which have been implemented on p roduction-ready growth chambers. Real-time in situ SE composition moni toring results which were obtained on such chambers are in excellent a greement with ex situ characterization techniques. Preliminary composi tion control experiments, using in situ SE as the feedback sensor, are also presented. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.