Advanced carrier depth profiling on Si and Ge with micro four-point probe

In order to reach the ITRS goals for future complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technologies, there is a growing need for the accurate extraction of ultrashallow electrically active dopant (carrier) profiles. In this work, it will be illustrated that this need can be met by the micro four-point probe (M4PP) tool. M4PP sheet resistance measurements taken along beveled Si and Ge blanket shallow structures will be investigated. From the differential sheet resistance changes, the underlying carrier profile can be reconstructed without the need to rely on a complicated contact modeling, i.e., M4PP carrier profiling is an absolute carrier depth profiling technique. On Si, it is found that the more sensitive a structure is to carrier spilling along the bevel, the better the M4PP system performs relative to conventional spreading resistance probe (SRP) due to its much lower probe pressure in combination with its sensitivity to what happens around the probes (and not underneath them). Also for Ge, the same issues change significantly the apparent carrier spilling behavior and improve the final accuracy obtained relative to SRP. (C) 2008 American Vacuum Society.