Nondestructive Defect Delineation in SiC Wafers Using Optical Stress Technique

Description:
 

Reference #:  00367

The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for this technology

Invention Description:

This invention is cost-effective, rapid, and nondestructive characterization technique, which can be used for fast and routine SiC wafer-scale evaluation of structural and crystallographic defects. The technique employed by this invention can easily locate and map the various defects in SiC wafers by magnifying the defect to tens of hundreds of micrometers in dimension.

Problem Solved:

Recent investigations have shown the great potential of silicon carbide (SiC) for high-power, high-temperature and high frequency electronics. Although different wafer types (primarily 6H and 4H) are now available at relatively low prices, SiC wafers are far from being free of micropipes and other structural defects, which are deleterious to high quality epilayer growth for SiC device applications.

Potential Applications:

The described invention is a promising tool for SiC bulk and epitaxial growth as well as for device/defect correlation research, and provides a method to quickly and thoroughly evaluates the SiC wafers for various purposes.

Additionally, this technology can be used for characterizing a variety of wafers, including wafers with or without an epilayer, on-axis or off-c-axis, and different polytypes.

Advantages and Benefits:

This technology can characterize a 2-inch wafer, at high magnification in less than 30 minutes, which makes the routine characterization of every SiC wafer possible.

Patent Information:
Title App Type Country Serial No. Patent No. File Date Issued Date Expire Date Patent Status
A System and Method for Detecting Defects in Semiconductor Wafers Utility United States 10/413,657 7,220,978 4/15/2003 5/22/2007 4/15/2023 Issued
For Information, Contact:
Technology Commercialization
University of South Carolina
technology@sc.edu
Inventors:
Tangali Sudarshan
Xianyun Ma
Toshiro Kubota
Parag Talekar
Matthew Parker
Keywords:
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