ABSTRACT
The performance of silicon-based semiconductors has been greatly improved due to the development of ultra large scale integration (ULSI) technology up to the submicron design rule. Therefore, the quality of silicon wafers has become even more important, since nearsurface defects, which are generated during a mechanical polishing process, greatly affect and deteriorate device performance. The silicon wafer industry requires methods to evaluate and characterize single-crystal semiconductors that are nondestructive and relatively simple to analyze a structurally damaged thin layer near the surface [1] so that the devices and circuits fabricated in them provide the intended results. Sometimes, the evaluation report may provide feedback to the crystal growth team to alter certain parameters and produce better crystal ingots and, of course, the perfect wafers for processing.
