Method for evaluating HSG silicon film of semiconductor device by atomic force microscopy

• US 5,970,312 A
• Filed: 01/22/1998
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Young-sun, Nam, Seung-hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudhuri, Olik
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mao, Daniel H.
• Application Number:
  US09/012,119
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 438/14, 438/17, 438/18
• US Class Current: 438/14
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/265 Contactless testing of circuits, also in wafer-form G01R31/302
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/12 for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions electrical measurement of diffusions H01L22/14

Abstract

An evaluating method of an HSG silicon film using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The characteristics of the HSG silicon film are measured and expressed with quantitative values using AFM. The above values are compared to values written in the working specification, to thereby evaluate the HSG silicon film and control the conditions of forming the HSG silicon film. Also, the capacitor where the HSG silicon film is interposed is formed, and then the capacitance of the capacitor is measured to determine the HSG height of the HSG silicon film for ensuring desired capacitance and conditions of forming the HSG silicon film. Accordingly, the characteristics of the HSG silicon film may be analyzed without damaging the semiconductor substrate and a preferred working specification for forming the HSG silicon film may be realized, to thereby increase the reproducibility of the HSG silicon film. Also, when the conditions of forming the HSG silicon film are determined, it is checked whether the apparatus for forming the HSG silicon film operates normally.

Claims

1. An method for evaluating an HSG silicon film of a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

forming the HSG silicon film on a semiconductor substrate;

measuring characteristics of the HSG silicon film using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to express quantitative values; and

comparing the quantitative values to values from a working specification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the HSG silicon film are HSG heights of the HSG silicon film.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the HSG heights of the HSG silicon film are used as characteristic values for evaluating the HSG silicon film.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the HSG silicon film are HSG areas of the HSG silicon film.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the HSG areas are used as characteristic values for evaluating the HSG silicon film.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the HSG silicon film is the surface roughness of the HSG silicon film.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the surface roughness of the HSG silicon film is used as a characteristic value for evaluating the HSG silicon film.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the HSG silicon film is comprised of two separate parts for forming a capacitor and an AFM measurement.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of sequentially forming a dielectric film and a plate node on the HSG silicon film for forming the capacitor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein capacitance of the capacitor is measured, and then conditions of forming the HSG silicon film are determined according to the HSG height and the capacitance.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of measuring the characteristics of the HSG silicon film comprises the sub-steps of:

loading the semiconductor substrate into an AFM apparatus;

checking a position of the HSG silicon film for obtaining an AFM measurement on the semiconductor substrate;

scanning a predetermined portion of the HSG silicon film to obtain the AFM measurement;

processing signals of the HSG silicon film characteristics obtained by scanning; and

compensating the processed signals.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditions of forming the HSG silicon film are controlled by feeding back to the step of forming the HSG silicon film according to a comparison result obtained from of the step of comparing the quantitative values.