SBIR PHASE II: Low Energy X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry Using a Polycapillary X-Ray Focusing Optic

肖9704072这个小型企业创新研究二期项目将开发一种表面灵敏低能X射线荧光(LEXRF)仪器，以满足国家半导体技术路线图中优先考虑的薄膜计量需求。硅基集成电路中器件密度的持续增加需要更多更薄的薄膜的沉积步骤，这反过来又要求更好的工艺开发和质量控制的计量。在第二阶段计划期间，将建造一台LEXRF仪器，其中包括在第一阶段设计的多毛细管光学装置，用于收集大立体角的X射线并将其聚焦到样品上，以将X射线强度提高两个数量级。聚焦光束在测量各种对半导体工业重要的薄膜时提供亚毫米的空间分辨率。该计划的最后阶段将在一家主要的半导体工具公司展示LEXRF系统的能力。拟议中的LEXRF仪器的商业潜力在于它能够提供元素和厚度分析，以便在最早的机会识别有缺陷的薄膜沉积工艺，从而避免与生产线末端报废相关的巨大经济损失。拟议的LEXRF系统还将提供反馈，以连续微调沉积过程，以提高产量。P：/sbir/yhashimi/abstrates/9704072.doc

Xiao 9704072 This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will develop a surface-sensitive low-energy-X-ray-fluorescence (LEXRF) instrument to meet the thin film metrology needs prioritized in the National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors. The continued increase of device densities in silicon-based integrated circuits requires more deposition steps of thinner films, which in turn demands better metrology for process development and quality control. During the Phase II program, a LEXRF instrument will be constructed which includes a polycapillary optic designed in Phase I to collect a large solid angle of X-rays and focus them onto a sample to increase the X-ray intensity by two orders of magnitude. The focused beam provides submillimeter spatial resolution in measuring various thin films important to the semiconductor industry. The last phase of the program will demonstrate the capabilities of the LEXRF system at a major semiconductor tool company. The commercial potential of the proposed LEXRF instrument lies in its ability to provide elemental and thickness analysis to identify defective thin film deposition processes at the earliest opportunity, thus avoiding the considerable financial loss associated with rejections at the end of the production line. The proposed LEXRF system will also provide feedback to fine-tune the deposition process on a continual basis to increase the production yield. p:/sbir/yhashimi/abstracts/9704072.doc