Scanning Capacitance Microscopy (SCM)

Precise sample preparation and SCM analysis technology enable the evaluation of carrier distribution in semiconductors.

Application areas: semiconductors (Si, GaAs, InP, SiC, GaN, IGZO etc.)

Strengths

• Evaluation of carrier distribution in localized areas.
• Wide measurement range from low concentration (just under 1E16 cm^-3) to high concentration (about 1E20 cm^-3)

Limitations

• Measurement range is from just under 1E16 cm^-3 to about 1E20 cm^-3.
• It is difficult to measure large steps or very thin layers of low concentration.
• The spatial resolution depends on the carrier concentration: it is about 20 nm in high-concentration layers and about 100 nm in low-concentration layers.

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Example Outputs Instruments Used How SCM Works

Semiconductor (Device and Wafer)

The change in capacitance when AC voltage is applied (the slope of the C-V curve, see picture on the top of the page) is detected by AFM’s conductive probe.

Note that the dC/dV signal increases as the carrier concentration decreases, but the dC/dV signal decreases below a certain concentration.

Technical specifications:

• Cross-section sample preparation: mechanical polishing and CMP finishing
• Simultaneous observation of contact mode AFM and SCM (dC/dV).
• Measurable area: 0.5 µm□-80 µm□

Measurements possible:

• Planar SCM measurement
• Cross-sectional SCM measurement
• Semi-quantitative concentration conversion using TRC original calculation model (Si and SiC only)

Learn more about using Scanning Capacitance Microscopy services today!