Real-time optical analysis and control of semiconductor epitaxy: Progress and opportunity

Various optical techniques have been developed in the last few years for real-time analysis of surfaces and near-surface regions during semiconductor epitaxy. These techniques are providing new insights into microscopic mechanisms of crystal growth and new opportunities for several levels of closed-loop feedback control of epitaxy, including control at the product (sample) level. The latter is made possible by new data-reduction algorithms that return the dielectric response of the most recently deposited material even if nothing is known about the underlying sample structure. Examples are provided, and opportunities and challenges discussed. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd