Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
A comparison of SurfaceSIMS measurements of surface metal contamination on silicon wafers with TXRF analyses of the same wafers is presented. These two important surface analysis techniques are characterized by differing analytical areas and sampling depths. For Fe, agreement between SurfaceSIMS and TXRF results is good (generally within a factor of two) for silicon wafers from a variety of sources with contamination levels ranging from 8×109 to 2×1015 atoms/cm2. Differences between SurfaceSIMS and TXRF results occur for other elements (such as W and Cu) when the contamination is not uniform across the surface of the wafer (particles are present), or extends a significant depth below the surface of the wafer (as is frequently the case for ion-implanted wafers).