In situ ellipsometry can be used for plasma
as well as for thermal ALD.

download as PDF file (with more data, 750 kB)

The ellipsometer is seperated by two valves
from the chamber to reduce deposition on the glas windows.

It is available on the loadlock FlexAL
and the open laoded OpAL.

Study of the nucleation delay

The thickness of TiN films grown on different thermal SiO2
substrates monitored by in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry
and shown as a function of number of remote plasma ALD
cycles.
The inset displays the initial growth region in more detail.
Two substrates were prepared by the method of calcination
and preheated at temperatures of 750° and 1.000° C.
The other substrate was an as-received wafer with 410 nm
thermal oxide.

with kind permission
TU Eindhoven
E. Langereis, S.B.S. Heil, M.C.M. van de Sanden, and
W.M.M. Kessels, J. Appl. Phys. 100, 023534 (2006)

Interfacial layer growth

The thickness of a TiN film deposited by plasma-assisted
atomic layer deposition on a H terminated c-Si substrate
shown as a function of the number of remote plasma ALD
cycles.
The inset shows the model used to analyze the in-situ
ellipsometry data.
The change in thickness of a SiNx interface layer formed
during the ALD process is also given.