In-Situ Study Of Silicon Vapour Phase Epitaxy Using Laser Light Scattering

The use of the smooth surface approximation to analyse light scattering from the surface of silicon wafers during epitaxial growth is described. Expressions for the time-dependent power spectral density function for isotropic and anisotropic surface textures are derived and compared with the experimental data for various stages of the epitaxial process. Additional quantitative information on epitaxial surface topography is provided by in-situ ellipsometry measurements, and by angle-resolved light scattering from wafers after removal from the growth reactor.