| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To readily detect a defect by visual observation using a microscope by forming an insulating film on a silicon substrate, then heat-treating in gas having oxygen partial pressure or steam pressure of the degree that an insulating film is not newly grown or in vacuum at the specific temperature to visualize the defect. CONSTITUTION:A heat treatment is performed at 600-1,250 deg.C in argon atmosphere in which H2O or O2 does not almost exist. At this time, since new SiO2 film is not almost grown in a boundary between a silicon substrate 11 and an SiO2 film 12, a reaction between Si+SiO2 2SiO occurs, but since no defect occurs on the SiO2 film, the thickness does not alter. However, if a local defect such as pinhole or metal ion exists on the film 12, the defect operates as a shortcircuit bus to the surface of the film from the boundary, and SiO having high vapor pressure is diffused in the atmosphere. Then, the equilibrium of reaction is displaced rightward, with the result that the silicon of the periphery of the defect and the SiO2 react and are consumed to form an etching pit 14 to be visually observed by a microscope. |
