ASTM F1388-92(2000)

This standard was transferred to SEMI (www.semi.org) May 2003

1.1 This test method covers the measurement of generation lifetime and generation velocity of silicon wafers.

1.2 The measurement requires the fabrication of a guard-ring MOS (Metal-Oxide-Silicon) capacitor. This test method is therefore destructive to the silicon wafer.

1.3 This test may also be applied to semiconductor materials other than silicon and to insulators other than silicon dioxide, but the details of capacitor fabrication and the analyses and interpretation of data in such cases are not given in this test method.

1.4 Both p- and n-type silicon in the doping range from 10¹³ to 10 ¹⁷ cm^-3 can be evaluated by this test method. The approximate range of generation lifetime that can be measured is 1µs to 10 ms.

1.5 The test method is applicable to both bulk and epitaxial silicon. If epitaxial silicon is used, the epitaxial layer must be of the same conductivity type as the substrate and should be at least twice as thick as the maximum depletion width in deep depletion to avoid errors caused by the proximity of the epitaxial interface (see 12.4).

1.6 It is necessary to complete the measurements described in Test Method F 1153 before performing the measurements described in this test method to determine the values of maximum capacitance, equilibrium minimum capacitance, and doping density.

1.7 A digital computer capable of controlling the instruments and recording data is required and significantly simplifies and improves the accuracy of the data acquisition and analysis process.

1.8 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific hazard statements are given in 11.5 and 11.8.