Investigation of tip-depletion-induced fail in scanning capacitance microscopy for the determination of carrier type

Lin Wang; Brice Gautier; Andrei Sabac; Georges Bremond

doi:10.1016/j.ultramic.2016.12.016

Investigation of tip-depletion-induced fail in scanning capacitance microscopy for the determination of carrier type

Ultramicroscopy. 2017 Mar:174:46-49. doi: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2016.12.016. Epub 2016 Dec 23.

Authors

Lin Wang¹, Brice Gautier¹, Andrei Sabac¹, Georges Bremond¹

Affiliation

¹ Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon (INL), Lyon University, CNRS UMR 5270, INSA Lyon, 7 avenue Jean Capelle 69621 Villeurbanne, France.

PMID: 28039762
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2016.12.016

Abstract

Scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) was performed on an n-type Si multilayer structure doped by phosphorus whose concentration ranges from 2×10¹⁷ to 2×10¹⁹cm^-3. Three types of tips were used, i.e. fresh Pt/Ir coated tip, worn Pt/Ir coated tip and non-coated commercial Si tip. The use of fresh Pt/Ir coated tips produces SCM result in good agreement with the doping profile including the correct identification of the carrier type. In contrast, a worn Pt/Ir coated tip which has lost its metal coating and a non-coated tip will fail to recognize successfully the carrier type for phosphorus dopant concentration above 8×10¹⁸cm^-3 (identifying as p instead of n) due to the tip depletion effect. These results alert us to carefully interpret the SCM results, especially in the case for identification of carrier type inside the sample of interest which is unknown.

Keywords: Carrier type; Scanning capacitance microscopy; Tip depletion; Two-dimensional dopant/carrier profiling.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't