9522879 Kerner This research is to develop a nondestructive prototype system to be used at manufacturing sites for measuring surface contamination on silicon wafers by light elements. A soft x-ray source will be used to optimize the anode material and electron beam focus. A monochromator will be designed to efficiently deliver radiation to the specimen for maximum signal intensity and minimal spectral "noise". Additional research will be conducted using very bright x-ray sources to maximize the efficiency of the technique by clarifying the limitations and guiding future developments. As the requirements for surface contamination become more strict, existing commercial instruments become less adequate. The development of the Surface Contamination Analyzer for Light Elements (SCALE) will meet the semiconductor industry's present and future needs for measuring light elements, and can be used in other industries to analyze trace elements in solution.
