Method of gettering semiconductor wafers with a laser beam.

摘要

A gettering method has a step in which the back surface of a semiconductor substrate having the upper surface on which semiconductor device elements is to be formed is irradiated, with a laser beam having a wavelength of 150 to 400 nm to introduce strain fields onto the back surface of the substrate. The energy density of the laser beam is from 0.5 to 10 J/cm<2>, and the irradiation pitch of the laser is 40 to 1500 mu m. The laser irradiation may be effected under the condition where an oxide film or a nitride film is formed on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate, or after the back surface of the semiconductor substrate is blasted with fine particles of silica or the like.