Semiconductor Characterization

Semiconductor characterization involves analyzing the properties of a semiconductor material or device to determine its suitability and performance for a given application. Several properties are commonly analyzed during characterization such as conductivity, depletion width, bandgap, carrier mobility and lifetimes, defect concentration, oxide charge, and countless others. To ensure optimal performance of semiconductor devices, manufacturers will often analyze multiple mechanical and electrical properties of semiconductor materials to ensure suitability for their application.

Semiconductor Standards And Conformity

Being a vital component of modern technology, semiconductor design, manufacture, use, and reuse is often guided by rigid standards. Many of these sets of standards are developed and maintained by the International Electrotechnical Commission to ensure international conformity and metrology of semiconductor devices. Some of these IEC standards include:

• IEC 60747 and 62047
• IEC 61290, IEC 61291, and IEC 61292

[1]

What Instruments Are Used for Semiconductor Characterization?

Semiconductor characterization laboratories rely on a full instrumentation suite to ensure the highest levels of precision Characterization. Instruments that are currently used for semiconductor characterization can include:

• Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
• Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
• X-ray Diffraction (XRD)
• Raman Spectroscopy
• Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
• Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (TOF MS)
• Thermal Conductivity Analyzer
• Auger Electron Spectrometer(AES)

What Are Key Considerations When Purchasing Semiconductor Characterization Instruments?

Precision and accuracy are key to semiconductor characterization with even trace-level contaminants potentially causing yield loss or device failures. When considering instrumentation, ensure that the device's measuring range offers the precision your specific application requires. Additionally, many semiconductor characterization operations occur within a clean room environment, ensuring instruments are compatible with such an environment is critical to smooth integration into your workflow.

[1] "International standards and conformity assessment for semiconductors" International Electrotechnical Commission, https://iec.ch/blog/international-standards-and-conformity-assessment-semiconductors