Hall-effect measurement apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9689935-B2
Application number	US-201113250522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2011
Priority date	Sep 30, 2011
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A Hall-Effect measure apparatus comprises a magnetic source, a wafer on a thermal chuck, a dc current source and a voltage meter. The magnetic source generates a magnetic field in a perpendicular position relative to the wafer. Furthermore, the magnetic field is targeted at a specific region of the wafer to be tested. By performing a Hall-Effect measurement and van der Pauw measurement, the carrier mobility of the specific region of the wafer can be calculated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a chuck configured to support a wafer, wherein the chuck is a thermal chuck;
a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field oriented in a perpendicular position relative to the chuck, wherein the magnetic field is configured to perform a Hall-Effect measurement of a region of the wafer, and wherein the magnetic field is targeted to the region, and wherein the region includes a square main body and four square corner regions outside the square main body, and wherein a magnetic flux flow targeting the square main body is limited within the square main body, and wherein a first square corner region and a second square corner region of the four square corner regions are electrically coupled to a dc current flowing from the first square corner region to the second square corner region; and
a controller configured to adjust operation parameters of the chuck.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field is oriented in a perpendicular position relative to the region.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the controller is configured to adjust a temperature of the wafer; and
the controller is configured to adjust a gate bias voltage of the wafer.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a dc current source coupled to the wafer; and
a voltage meter coupled to the wafer.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the magnetic field generator is a permanent magnet configured to:
generate a first magnetic field from a first side of the wafer to a second side of the wafer; and
generate a second magnetic field from the second side of the wafer to the first side of the wafer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field generator is an electromagnet comprising:
a coil wrapped around a core, wherein an amplitude of the electromagnet is proportional to a dc current flowing into the coil.

7. A system comprising:
a dc current source configured to perform a Hall-Effect measurement;
a voltage meter configured to perform the Hall-Effect measurement;
a chuck having an adjustable temperature range;
a magnetic source configured to generate a magnetic field oriented in a perpendicular position relative to the chuck, and wherein the magnetic field is targeted to a square portion of the chuck, and wherein a magnetic flux flow targeting the square portion is limited within the square portion of the chuck, wherein the dc current source is configured to inject a de current between a first region over the chuck to a second region over the chuck, and wherein the first region and the second region are adjacent to two diagonally opposite corners of the square portion; and
a controller configured to adjust operation parameters of the chuck.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a wafer on top of the chuck, wherein the magnetic field is targeted at a specific region of the wafer and oriented in a perpendicular position relative to the specific region.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the magnetic source is an electromagnet configured to:
generate a first magnetic field from a first side of the wafer to a second side of the wafer; and
generate a second magnetic field from the second side of the wafer to the first side of the wafer.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the magnetic source is a permanent magnet configured to:
generate a first magnetic field from a first side of the wafer to a second side of the wafer; and
generate a second magnetic field from the second side of the wafer to the first side of the wafer.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to:
adjust a temperature setup of the chuck.

12. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a calculator configured to calculate carrier density and carrier mobility based upon measurement results from the voltage meter and the dc current source.

13. A method comprising:
configuring a magnetic source to target a specific region of a wafer on a thermal chuck;
configuring the magnetic source to generate a magnetic field in a perpendicular position relative to the specific region, wherein the specific region includes a square main body and four square corner regions outside the square main body, and wherein a magnetic flux magnetic flux flow targeting the square main body is limited within the square main body, and wherein a first square corner region and a second square corner region of the four square corner regions are electrically coupled to a de current flowing from the first square corner region to the second square corner region, and wherein the first square corner region and the second square corner region are adjacent to two diagonally opposite corners of the square main body;
setting the thermal chuck to a first temperature and setting a gate bias voltage of the specific region to a first voltage level;
performing a first Hall-Effect measurement on the specific region under the first temperature and the first voltage level;
setting the thermal chuck to a second temperature and setting the gate bias voltage of the specific region to a second voltage level, wherein the second temperature is different from the first temperature and the second voltage level is different from the first voltage level;
performing a second Hall-Effect measurement on the specific region under the second temperature and the second voltage level; and
calculating carrier mobility of the specific region.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
performing a van der Pauw measurement on the specific region; and
calculating sheet resistivity of the specific region.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
adjusting a temperature setup of the specific region of the wafer; and
calculating the carrier mobility of the specific region under the temperature setup.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
adjusting the gate bias voltage of the specific region of the wafer; and
calculating the carrier mobility of the specific region under different gate bias voltages.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
in response to a first testing condition, configuring the magnetic source to generate a first magnetic flux flow from a first side of the wafer to a second side of the wafer; and
in response to a second testing condition, configuring the magnetic source to generate a second magnetic flux flow from the second side of the wafer to the first side of the wafer.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
forming the magnetic source using a permanent magnet; and
moving the magnetic source to target the specific region.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
forming the magnetic source using an electromagnet; and
adjusting an amplitude of the electromagnet by adjusting a value of a dc current flowing into a coil of the electromagnet.

Assignees

• Lin Ming-Cheng
• Liu Che-Hung
• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lin Ming-Cheng
• Liu Che-Hung

Classifications

• G01R15/202

  using Hall-effect devices (Hall elements in arrangements for measuring electrical power G01R21/08) · CPC title

• G01R33/072 Primary

  Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications · CPC title

• G01R31/2648

  Characterising semiconductor materials (testing of materials or semi-finished products G01R31/2831; testing during manufacture H10P74/00) · CPC title