Using the RGB data of bright-field optical microscopy to efficiently monitor the surface cleanliness of the active elements of semiconductor wafers in the planar production cycle

It is shown that it is promising to use the RGB data of bright-field optical microscopy to efficiently monitor the surface cleanliness of the active elements of semiconductor wafers in the planar production cycle. It is demonstrated that the film thickness on a substrate surface can be determined from RGB data obtained by means of a photosensor based on a Bayer array with known spectral response. An example shows how to use it on a GaAs semiconductor wafer with metallized active gold elements. Software has been developed for channel-by-channel comparison of a discriminated region of two pictures. An algorithm is presented for obtaining micrographs that can subsequently be analyzed and compared.