Surface Characterization Solutions for Semiconductor Applications

The zeta potential is a fundamental characteristic of the solid-water interface. It represents surface and interfacial charge. Despite of a common theoretical background, the analytical methods for the zeta potential analyses differ significantly for particle dispersions (by electrophoretic light scattering) and solid material surfaces (by streaming potential).

The analysis of the surface zeta potential serves versatile applications. In this workshop, we focus on case studies relevant for semiconductor processing and related fields.

Nanoindentation is a surface characterization technique used for measuring the mechanical properties of materials such as hardness, modulus, viscoelasticity, creep, and fracture toughness. Nanoindentation, unlike conventional mechanical testing techniques, is particularly useful for characterizing the properties of complex materials such as composites, thin films and coatings, and soft materials such as hydrogels. In this workshop, we will focus on how nanoindentation can be applied to the semiconductor industry to evaluate coating deposition process, coating quality, bonding pads characterization, etc.

Scratch testing is another surface characterization technique used to evaluate the cohesive and adhesive properties of thin films to determine the failure points of the film-substrate system. Of particular significance to the semiconductor industry is controlling the adhesion among passivation layers, the underlying layer, and/or the semiconductor wafer to mitigate premature delamination and ultimate component failure. In this workshop, we will focus on how scratch testing can be employed for cohesion and adhesion testing of semiconductor materials.