Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A, Vol.19, No.4, 1134-1138, 2001
Comparative ion yields by secondary ion mass spectrometry from microelectronic films
Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is reported from multiple-element multiple-matrix ion implants. The implants include a thirteen element metal set and a six element gas set implanted into films of interest for microelectronics (silicon, silicides, wiring layers, liner metals, inorganic dielectrics, and polymer dielectrics.) Using these standards. this study performs a broad comparison of ion yields using a metric defined as the normalized useful yield. We find that the yield of K+ with O-2(+) primaries is constant for almost all matrices, in keeping with a concept of ion yield saturation. The yield of Cl- with Cs+ primaries approaches a yield saturation limit for titanium but the ion yield falls for materials with higher sputter yields, becoming 3.5X lower from copper. The variations in negative ion yields from matrix to matrix are much larger, with anomalies more pronounced, for weaker-yielding ions, becoming 50X for C- from Ti to Cu. In this article we document sets of ion implants, show some of the SIMS profiles, and note trends in ion yields and implications for SIMS analysis.