Apparatus and method for rapid and nondestructive determination of lattice defects in semiconductor materials

摘要

A method and apparatus for rapidly yet nondestructively testing a semiconductor wafer is disclosed. A multi-spot positron source assembly directs positrons over an entire semiconductor wafer at one time. A pair of multi-detector assemblies are situated so that each detector within an assembly corresponds physically with a positron source. By measuring the characteristic emission and annihilation energies, the multi-detector assembly pair is capable of detecting the lifetimes of positrons from within each of the areas simultaneously. Longer lifetimes are indicative of defects within the semiconductor wafer. By accumulating and analyzing positron lifetimes from across the entire wafer substantially simultaneously, information about the existence and location of defects in the wafer may be more rapidly determined than is possible with known positron-emission techniques.