Electrical quality assessment of epitaxial wafers based on p-n junction diagnostics

The potential for using dedicated p-n junction diode structures as a diagno stic tool for the electrical properties of silicon epitaxial wafers is outl ined and experimentally validated. Key parameters of interest are the gener ation and recombination lifetime of the top layer, and the surface and epi- layer/substrate interface generation (recombination) velocity. Optimized ex traction procedures for each of these properties are proposed and potential advantages/drawbacks discussed. (C) 1999 The Electrochemical Society. S001 3-4651(99)01-054-X. An rights reserved.