A NEW DATA-PROCESSING METHOD TO DETERMINE ACCURATE DENSITY AND SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF DEFECTS BY BRIGHT FIELD INFRARED-LASER INTERFEROMETER (OPTICAL PRECIPITATE PROFILER)

We have addressed essential problems for the determination of the size distribution and volume density of crystal defects by bright field in frared laser interferometer [optical precipitate profiler (OPP)]. By t aking into consideration the influences of the intensity profile and p hase shift of the incident laser beam along the optical axis: we devel oped a new statistical data processing method to determine the true si ze distribution and volume density of the crystal defects from the raw OPP data. Using this method we evaluated the size distribution and vo lume density of oxygen precipitates introduced in a CZ-Si wafer and th e validity of the new method was confirmed by comparing the obtained r esults with those obtained by the etching method and transmission elec tron microscopy. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(9 8)02009-7].