Abstract: Present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor wafer with an epitaxial layer at a front surface of the semiconductor wafer, including providing the semiconductor wafer with a first dopant concentration of a dopant having a first conductivity type, forming a polysilicon layer over the front surface, removing the polysilicon layer from the front surface, and depositing the epitaxial layer at the front surface with a second dopant concentration of the dopant having the first conductivity type under a predetermined temperature. A transition width of the dopant having the first conductivity type across the semiconductor wafer and the epitaxial layer is controlled by the predetermined temperature to be at least about 0.75 micrometer. A semiconductor device and a semiconductor wafer with an epitaxial layer at a front surface of the semiconductor wafer are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for providing support to semiconductor wafer is provided. An embodiment comprises introducing a vacancy enhancing material during the formation of a semiconductor ingot prior to the semiconductor wafer being separated from the semiconductor ingot. The vacancy enhancing material forms vacancies at a high density within the semiconductor ingot, and the vacancies form bulk micro defects within the semiconductor wafer during high temperature processes such as annealing. These bulk micro defects help to provide support and strengthen the semiconductor wafer during subsequent processing and helps to reduce or eliminate a fingerprint overlay that may otherwise occur.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a thermal treatment is performed on a substrate, thereby forming a defect free layer in an upper layer of the substrate, where a remaining layer of the substrate is a bulk layer. A density of defects in the bulk layer is equal to or more than 1×108 cm?3, where the defects are bulk micro defects. An electronic device is formed over the defect free layer. An opening is formed in the defect free layer such that the opening does not reach the bulk layer. The opening is filled with a conductive material, thereby forming a via. The bulk layer is removed so that a bottom part of the via is exposed. A density of defects in the defect free layer is less than 100 cm?3.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a thermal treatment is performed on a substrate, thereby forming a defect free layer in an upper layer of the substrate, where a remaining layer of the substrate is a bulk layer. A density of defects in the bulk layer is equal to or more than 1×108 cm?3, where the defects are bulk micro defects. An electronic device is formed over the defect free layer. An opening is formed in the defect free layer such that the opening does not reach the bulk layer. The opening is filled with a conductive material, thereby forming a via. The bulk layer is removed so that a bottom part of the via is exposed. A density of defects in the defect free layer is less than 100 cm?3.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a silicon wafer having a disc-like silicon body. The wafer includes a central portion circumscribed by a circumferential edge region. A plurality of sampling locations, which are arranged in the circumferential edge region, have a plurality of wafer property values, respectively, which correspond to a wafer property. The plurality of wafer property values differ from one another according to a pre-determined statistical edge region profile.

Abstract: A method is provided for qualifying a semiconductor wafer for subsequent processing, such as thermal processing. A plurality of locations are defined about a periphery of the semiconductor wafer, and one or more properties, such as oxygen concentration and a density of bulk micro defects present, are measured at each of the plurality of locations. A statistical profile associated with the periphery of the semiconductor wafer is determined based on the one or more properties measured at the plurality of locations. The semiconductor wafer is subsequently thermally treated when the statistical profile falls within a predetermined range. The semiconductor wafer is rejected from subsequent processing when the statistical profile deviates from the predetermined range. As such, wafers prone to distortion, warpage, and breakage are rejected from subsequent thermal processing.

Abstract: A system and method for mitigating annealing fingerprints in semiconductor wafers is provided. An embodiment comprises aligning the semiconductor wafers prior to each annealing step. This alignment generates similar or identical fingerprints in each of the semiconductor wafers manufactured. With the fingerprint known, a single compensation model for a subsequent photoresist may be utilized to compensate for the fingerprint in each of the semiconductor wafers.

Abstract: A method for forming a wafer supporting structure comprises growing a single crystal using a floating zone crystal growth process, forming a silicon ingot having an oxygen concentration equal to or less than 1 parts-per-million-atomic (ppma), slicing a wafer from the silicon ingot, cutting portions of the wafer to form a supporting structure through a mechanical lathe and applying a high temperature anneal process to the supporting structure.

Abstract: A method is provided for qualifying a semiconductor wafer for subsequent processing, such as thermal processing. A plurality of locations are defined about a periphery of the semiconductor wafer, and one or more properties, such as oxygen concentration and a density of bulk micro defects present, are measured at each of the plurality of locations. A statistical profile associated with the periphery of the semiconductor wafer is determined based on the one or more properties measured at the plurality of locations. The semiconductor wafer is subsequently thermally treated when the statistical profile falls within a predetermined range. The semiconductor wafer is rejected from subsequent processing when the statistical profile deviates from the predetermined range. As such, wafers prone to distortion, warpage, and breakage are rejected from subsequent thermal processing.

Abstract: A system and method for mitigating annealing fingerprints in semiconductor wafers is provided. An embodiment comprises aligning the semiconductor wafers prior to each annealing step. This alignment generates similar or identical fingerprints in each of the semiconductor wafers manufactured. With the fingerprint known, a single compensation model for a subsequent photoresist may be utilized to compensate for the fingerprint in each of the semiconductor wafers.

Abstract: A system and method for providing support to semiconductor wafer is provided. An embodiment comprises introducing a vacancy enhancing material during the formation of a semiconductor ingot prior to the semiconductor wafer being separated from the semiconductor ingot. The vacancy enhancing material forms vacancies at a high density within the semiconductor ingot, and the vacancies form bulk micro defects within the semiconductor wafer during high temperature processes such as annealing. These bulk micro defects help to provide support and strengthen the semiconductor wafer during subsequent processing and helps to reduce or eliminate a fingerprint overlay that may otherwise occur.

Abstract: A method of forming a dopant implant region in a MOS transistor device having a dopant profile having a target dopant concentration includes implanting a first concentration of dopants into a region of a substrate, where the first concentration of dopants is less than the target dopant concentration, and without annealing the substrate after the implanting step, performing at least one second implanting step to implant at least one second concentration of dopants into the region of the substrate to bring the dopant concentration in the region to the target dopant concentration.

Abstract: A semiconductor method includes thermally treating at least a portion of a substrate so as to generate a plurality of vacancies in a region at a depth substantially near to a surface of the substrate. The substrate is then quenched so as to substantially maintain the vacancies in the region substantially near to the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A method of forming a dopant implant region in a MOS transistor device having a dopant profile having a target dopant concentration includes implanting a first concentration of dopants into a region of a substrate, where the first concentration of dopants is less than the target dopant concentration, and without annealing the substrate after the implanting step, performing at least one second implanting step to implant at least one second concentration of dopants into the region of the substrate to bring the dopant concentration in the region to the target dopant concentration.

Abstract: A method for identifying a drifted dose integrator in an implantation system and an implantation system are provided. The implantation system includes a first dose integrator and a second dose integrator. The first dose integrator includes a first input configured to receive a first current generated from charges carried by implanted ions in a wafer, and a first output configured to output a first accumulated dosage value. The second dose integrator includes a second dose integrator including a second input configured to receive a second current generated from the charges carried by the implanted ions in the wafer, and a second output configured to output a second accumulated dosage value. The implantation system further includes a processing unit comparing the first accumulated dosage value and the second accumulated dosage value to detect a drift in one of the first and the second dose integrators.

Abstract: A semiconductor method includes thermally treating at least a portion of a substrate so as to generate a plurality of vacancies in a region at a depth substantially near to a surface of the substrate. The substrate is then quenched so as to substantially maintain the vacancies in the region substantially near to the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A wafer carrier. The wafer carrier includes a container and a plate, wherein the container has an inner wall and the plate is disposed in the vicinity of the inner wall of an upper portion of the container.

Abstract: A method for identifying a drifted dose integrator in an implantation system and an implantation system are provided. The implantation system includes a first dose integrator and a second dose integrator. The first dose integrator includes a first input configured to receive a first current generated from charges carried by implanted ions in a wafer, and a first output configured to output a first accumulated dosage value. The second dose integrator includes a second dose integrator including a second input configured to receive a second current generated from the charges carried by the implanted ions in the wafer, and a second output configured to output a second accumulated dosage value. The implantation system further includes a processing unit comparing the first accumulated dosage value and the second accumulated dosage value to detect a drift in one of the first and the second dose integrators.

Abstract: Method for reducing dopant contamination during the fabrication of semiconductor devices is provided. The method includes doping a first layer, such as a polysilicon layer. During a subsequent annealing process, a gas, such as nitrogen, oxygen, a combination thereof, or the like, is introduced. The gas causes a cap layer to be formed over the first layer, preventing or reducing out-diffusing of the dopants and contamination of the process chamber. In a preferred embodiment, the gas is introduced during the ramp-up stage of the annealing process. The cap layer may be removed prior to etching the first layer.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for measuring thicknesses of ultra-thin gate oxide layers are provided. In the method, a substrate that has a thin gate oxide layer formed on top is first heat treated at a temperature between about 400° C. and about 800° C. under a sub-atmospheric pressure for at least 10 seconds. The substrate is then immediately transferred, i.e., within 10 minutes, to a thickness measuring device for the accurate measurement of the thickness of the gate oxide layer. The apparatus can be provided by mounting a heating chamber juxtaposed to a thickness measuring device, such as an ellipsometer so that substrate can be immediately transferred therein between after a heat treatment step is completed. The heat treatment step of the present invention novel method is efficient in preventing the deposition of moisture and organic residue onto the surface of the thin gate oxide layer.