Company BriefSirius X-ray Solutions GmbH is a provider of X-ray Analytical Solutions for Material Science and Semiconductor Industries founded in 2015. Sirius are an independent instruments integrator
Company Brief
Sirius X-ray Solutions GmbH is a provider of X-ray Analytical Solutions for Material Science and Semiconductor Industries founded in 2015. Sirius are an independent instruments integrator and we work together with established suppliers. Sirius offer complete laboratory solutions to synchrotron users in the area of thin films, surface and in situ – characterization, X-ray semiconductor metrology solutions and services in X-ray diffraction analysis.
Introduction
Industrial semiconductor X-ray metrology applications:
GaN for High Power devices, III-V Optoelectronics, Piezoelectrics, MEMS and New Materials
Si, SiGe, SOI
Thin Film analysis (metal, oxides, semiconductors, new materials..)
Composition Analysis
Crystal orientation (ingot, Boule, wafers, ..)
Structural analysis
Proprietary Advanced Software Suite
-Instrument control and data analysis integrated in one unique program.
-Automated measurements
-Fast measurements via optimized algorithms
-Data Analysis
Dedicated X-ray Semiconductor Metrology lab equipment to be used in R&D labs or pilot lines, in particular compound semiconductors, MEMS, high power devices and back end processes.
Thin film metrology via XRR (X-ray Reflectivity), HRXRD (High resolution X-ray diffraction) and RSM (Reciprocal space maps), GID (grazing incidence diffraction), wafer mapping.
Sample stage can support up to 200mm wafers or 200mm x 200mm rigid/flexible samples.
Automated measuments and analysis.
State of the art proprietary analytical and measurement software.
Equipment size : 1.2m x 1.3m x 2.1m
X-ray thin film analysis is an established technique for the determination of the film thickness, structural parameters, composition and strain.
Film thickness can range from sub-nanometer to millimeter.
According to the film type, different X-ray techniques will be used in order to determine the parameters of interest.
Applications
1. X-ray reflectivity
X-ray reflectivity is based on the constructive interference of X-rays scattered from the surface of the thin film and the different interfaces between the sublayers of the multilayer stacks. Measuring and fitting the XRR curves with proprietary Sirius-XRR state-of-the-art software analysis program will allow determination of:
Technical Specifications: Minimum thickness ~ 1,5 nm Maximum thickness up to ~ 300 nm. Resolution ~ 1% of the measured thickness Lateral resolution (minimum spot size ~ 1 cm) |
Example: Al2O3/InGaAs film on Si substrate |
High Resolution X-ray Diffraction (HRXRD) is used for the characterization and process development of epitaxial thin films and multilayers like: SiGe, SOI, epitaxial GaN on Si, photonics materials, III/ V in general, epitaxial complex oxides. Different HRXRD techniques are used:
Example: Rocking Curve of epitaxial layer |
Example: Theta/2Theta scan of GaN layered structure |
3. Reciprocal space maps
Two dimensional reciprocal space maps for a rapid determination of three dimensional structural parameters by measuring and analysing and area of the reciprocal space. |
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4. In-Plane Grazing incidence
In-plane grazing incidence diffraction* is a technique used for fast determination of in-plane lattice parameters of ultra-thin epitaxial films, structural registry of the layer with respect to the substrate, lateral crystalline film quality.
*Als-Nielsen, J. & McMorrow, D. (2011). Elements of Modern X-ray Physics (2 ed.). Wiley. ISBN 978-0470973950.
5. Grazing incidence powder diffraction. Structural Phase Identification of thin polycrystalline layer.
X-ray diffraction under grazing incidence reduces the penetration depth of the incoming X-rays and thus allows measurements of nanometer thin films excluding part of the signal coming from the substrate. |
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6. Semiconductor Wafer Mapping
Wafer homogeneity (composition, thickness, strain) maps can be performed up to 200mm in a R&D environment. No clean room.
