On-wafer Hall-effect measurement system

• US 5,150,042 A
• Filed: 09/23/1991
• Issued: 09/22/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Government of The USA As Represented By The Secretary of The Air Force, United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Inventors: Mumford, Philip D., Look, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VINH P
• Application Number:
  US07/763,736
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 324/158 R, 324/73.1, 324/202, 324/226, 324/228, 324/251, 324/262, 324/501, 324/537, 324/719, 437/8
• US Class Current: 324/754.03
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2831 Testing of materials or semi-finished products, e.g. semiconductor wafers or substrates G01R31/318511 takes precedence; testing during manufacture H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/315 by inductive methods

Abstract

A non-destructive measurement system for producing whole wafer maps of sheet Hall concentration and Hall mobility in a GaAs wafer. The wafer need only have van der Pauw patterns available for the wafer measurements to be made. The measurement system includes an automatic test prober apparatus modified to incorporate a powerful permanent magnet providing a magnetic field to produce a Hall effect in the GaAs wafer. A parametric measurement system coupled through test probes to the van der Pauw patterns is programmed to measure sheet resistivity, Hall voltage and magnetic field strength, from which are derived values of sheet Hall concentration and mobility that are stored and mapped.

Claims

1. A nondestructive measurement system for making on-wafer Hall effect measurements of a patterned GaAs wafer, comprising:

a support fixture mounting said GaAs wafer, said GaAs wafer having on a surface thereof a plurality of test sites each comprising a set of ohmic contacts connected to a van der Pauw pattern;

magnet means mounted on said support fixture for generating a magnetic field, said magnet means positioned adjacent said GaAs wafer so as to produce a Hall effect in said GaAs wafer;

means for measuring said magnetic field at said test sites;

a plurality of test probes positioned adjacent said GaAs wafer;

means connected to said support fixture for moving said GaAs wafer relative to said test probes to bring said set of ohmic contacts into contact with said test probes;

measuring means comprising a source of current and a voltage measuring device, and switching means for selectively connecting said source of current and voltage measuring device to said test probes;

means for storing values of voltages measured by said voltage measuring device and for storing values of magnetic field measured at said test sites;

means for calculating sheet resistance of said GaAs wafer at said test sites from a first series of voltages measured by said voltage measuring device;

means for calculating sheet Hall concentration in said GaAs wafer at said test sites from a second series of voltages measured by said voltage measuring device and from the magnetic field measured at said test sites; and

means for calculating Hall mobility in said GaAs wafer at said test sites from calculations of said sheet Hall concentration and said sheet resistance.

2. The non-destructive measurement system according to claim 1 wherein said magnet means comprises a permanent magnet made of samarium cobalt.

3. The non-destructive measurement system according to claim 2, wherein said permanent magnet has a field strength of 1-2 kilogauss.

4. The non-destructive measurement system according to claim 3, further including a movable chuck positioned on said support fixture, said permanent magnet being secured on said movable chuck, said permanent magnet having a planar surface on which said GaAs wafer is positioned.

5. The non-destructive measurement system according to claim 4, further including suction means for securing said GaAs wafer to said permanent magnet.

6. The non-destructive measurement system according to claim 4, wherein said suction means includes a source of vacuum, and a plate positioned between said GaAs wafer and said permanent magnet having an aperture therethrough in alignment with each other and connected to said source of vacuum, said plate further including an annular groove in the surface thereof adjacent said permanent magnet, said groove being connected to said aperture and to said source of vacuum.

7. The non-destructive measurement system of claim 1, wherein said means for moving said GaAs relative to said test probe means comprises a computer controlled X-Y-Z axis drive apparatus.

8. The non-destructive measurement system according to claim 1, further including plotter means for generating a map of said sheet Hall concentration and said Hall mobility at said test sites.