HIGH RESOLUTION TEXTURE ANALYSIS OF THIN BLANKET FILMS DISCREET TEST STRUCTURES IN SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES, K.J. Kozaczek, R.I. Martin, D.S. Kurtz, P.R. Moran, S.P. O'Leary, R.L. Martin, pp. 314-319

Traditional texture analysis by XRD has two drawbacks when applied to semiconductor test structures on a full size wafer: it lacks precision in positioning of a small diameter x-ray beam with respect to small, discreet test structures (hundreds of microns or less) on a large wafer, and it lacks appropriate algorithms for calculating the orientation distribution function in the case of very sharp textures. We present a method that overcomes these two drawbacks. This particular measurement protocol eliminates the sample “chi” rotation thus enabling texture analysis on a wafer with “in-plane” motion only. The wafer positioning is controlled by high precision motion stages and a high magnification video camera. Such an arrangement allows one to measure texture anywhere on a full size wafer with a spatial resolution of approximately 100 microns. Several incomplete pole figures are collected simultaneously from one or more phases present in the sample and the orientation distribution function is calculated with a resolution as high as 1 degree. Examples of quantitative texture analysis in blanket films and interconnects are presented.