The application of scanning photoelectron microscopy of the PLS (Pohang light source) to investigation of semiconductor devices

Abstract

Scanning photoelectron microscopy (SPEM) was used to investigate a semiconductor sensor chip and Cu patterns embedded in Si substrate. It was found that the line shift in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) caused by local charges on the passivated surface is proportional to the distance between the surface and the conducting layer of the sensor chip. By using the line shift in XPS, inner-layered microstructure of the sensor chip could be imaged without destroying the sample. The result for the Cu patterns indicates that the surface of Cu patterns is more contaminated with carbon in the air than the surface of the Si pattern.