Sweeping-TXRF: a nondestructive technique for the entire surface characterization of metal contaminations on semiconductor wafers

We propose a new mode of total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis called "Sweeping-TXRF" for the characterization of wafer surface contaminations in semiconductor manufacturing. Essentially, Sweeping-TXRF is the mapping of an entire surface with a very short data acquisition time for each individual spot. Sweeping-TXRF provides three-dimensional views for individual elements on a wafer in a very short period of time, a method that had never before been achieved by traditional methods. Dedicated software for this method was developed and tested, and the results are quite promising for routine contamination characterization.