SBIR Phase I: Light Element X-Ray Flourescence Using Capillary X-Ray Optics

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将研究使用多毛细光学技术，利用x射线荧光（XRF）测定硅（Si）半导体衬底上的低原子序数(Z)元素（Z14）。轻元素污染是半导体生产中的一个重要问题，会导致器件产量降低、生产成本增加和工业竞争力受损。目前还没有令人满意的分析技术，既无损又具有半导体工业协会（SIA）国家半导体技术路线图（NTRMS）规定的必要检测限。预测多毛细x射线光学技术可以有效地收集大实体角的x射线，并优先传输硅吸收边缘以下的光子。发射光束可以以高强度聚焦在硅半导体的目标区域上。研究了几种不同几何结构的多毛细纤维在低能x射线传输中的性能特性。这些结果将用于设计一种新型的低能量XRF多毛细光学系统，并提高轻元素分析的信噪比。该研究的应用有望将XRF技术的能力扩展到更大范围的轻元素，并将在半导体工业中特别有用。这些应用将包括材料合成和加工，电子和光子器件制造，以及微加工。提高半导体器件产量和更具竞争力的分析仪器有望。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will investigate the use of polycapillary optics for the determination of low atomic number (Z) elements (Z14) on silicon (Si) semiconductor substrates using X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Light element contamination is a significant problem in semiconductor production resulting in reduced device yields, increased production costs, and impaired industrial competitiveness. No satisfactory analytical technique is available that is both nondestructive and has the necessary detection limits as set by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) National Technology Road Map for Semiconductors (NTRMS). It is predicted that the technology of polycapillary X-ray optics can effectively collect a large solid angle of X-rays and preferentially transmit photons below the Si absorption edge. The transmitted beam can be focused upon the targeted area of a Si semiconductor with high intensity. The performance characteristics of several polycapillary fibers will be studied for transmission of low energy X-rays in different geometric configurations. These results will be used to design a novel polycapillary optical system for low energy XRF and improve the signal-to-noise ratio for light element analysis. Applications of the research are expected to extend the capability of the XRF technique to a greater range of light elements and will be particularly useful in the semiconductor industry. These applications will include materials synthesis and processing, electronic and photonic device fabrication, and microfabrication. Improved semiconductor device yields and more competitive analytical instrumentation are expected.