Ion implant monitoring with thermal wave technology

A new method, based on thermal wave technology, is used to monitor the ion implantation process in silicon. It is a noncontact, nondestructive technique that requires no special sample preparation or processing, has high sensitivity even at low dose, and provides a one-micron spatial resolution capability. This method allows, for the first time, the ability to monitor the critical ion implantation process directly on the patterned product integrated circuit wafers as well as on the usual test wafers.