Rapid determination of organic contaminations on wafer surfaces

Irrespective of the semiconductor type and technology, organic contaminations on wafer surfaces have a detrimental impact on subsequent manufacturing steps and/or the device function. Therefore, it is of great interest to have a quick and reliable tool to detect those contaminations with sufficient sensitivity. In this study we investigated and optimized two methods which have the potential for in-line analytics since they are fast and simple: contact angle measurement and total organic carbon (TOC) determination. We present data on silicon wafer surfaces; however, the techniques may be suitable for all other wafer surfaces, too.