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Transparent conductive oxides such as indium tin oxide (ITO) are standards for thin film electrodes, providing a synergy of high optical transparency and electrical conductivity. In an electrolytic environment, the determination of an inert electrochemical potential window is crucial to maintain a stable material performance during device operation. We introduce operando ellipsometry, combining cyclic voltammetry (CV) with spectroscopic ellipsometry, as a versatile tool to monitor the evolution of both complete optical (i.e., complex refractive index) and electrical properties under wet electrochemical operational conditions. In particular, we trace the degradation of ITO electrodes caused by electrochemical reduction in a pH-neutral, water-based electrolyte environment during electrochemical cycling. With the onset of hydrogen evolution at negative bias voltages, indium and tin are irreversibly reduced to the metallic state, causing an advancing darkening, i.e., a gradual loss of transparency, with every CV cycle, while the conductivity is mostly conserved over multiple CV cycles. Post-operando analysis reveals the reductive (loss of oxygen) formation of metallic nanodroplets on the surface. The reductive disruption of the ITO electrode happens at the solid–liquid interface and proceeds gradually from the surface to the bottom of the layer, which is evidenced by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy imaging and complemented by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping. As long as a continuous part of the ITO layer remains at the bottom, the conductivity is largely retained, allowing repeated CV cycling. We consider operando ellipsometry a sensitive and nondestructive tool to monitor early stage material and property changes, either by tracing failure points, controlling intentional processes, or for sensing purposes, making it suitable for various research fields involving solid–liquid interfaces and electrochemical activity.
Abstract. In power electronics, compound semiconductors with large bandgaps, like silicon carbide (SiC), are increasingly being used as material instead of silicon. They have a lot of advantages over silicon but are also intolerant of nanoscale material defects, so that a defect inspection with high accuracy is needed. The different defect types on SiC samples are measured with various measurement methods, including optical and tactile methods. The defect types investigated include carrots, particles, polytype inclusions and threading dislocations, and they are analysed with imaging ellipsometry, coherent Fourier scatterometry (CFS), white light interference microscopy (WLIM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). These different measurement methods are used to investigate which method is most sensitive for which type of defect to be able to use the measurement methods more effectively. It is important to be able to identify the defects to classify them as critical or non-critical for the functionality of the end product. Once these investigations have been completed, the measurement systems can be optimally distributed to the relevant defects in further work to realize a hybrid analysis of the defects. In addition to the identification and classification of defects, such a future hybrid analysis could also include characterizations, e.g. further evaluation of ellipsometric data by using numerical simulations.
The presentation demonstrates an application of multi-scale optical imaging methods such as spectroscopic imaging ellipsometry and white light interference microscopy for the investigation of wide-bandgap semiconductors for power electronics. The capabilities of these methods for the development of new reference calibration samples for scanning microwave microscopes (SMM) and conductive atomic force microscopes (C AFM) are discussed.
Ellipsometry is a very powerful tool used for accurate material investigation in a wide wavelength range. It is a non-destructive and fast method. Imaging ellipsometry as a combination of optical microscopy and ellipsometry enables spatially resolved measurements when determining the layer thickness and dielectric properties of thin layers. It is known for its high polarisation sensitivity and high contrast for the surface structures. In this contribution we show the application of the imaging ellipsometry for detection of defects in energy materials and quality validation of possible reference materials for nano-electronics.
Defects in wide bandgap semiconductors, in homoepitaxial SiC and heteroepitaxial GaN layers on transparent SiC substrates, can be successfully detected and classified by means of imaging ellipsometry. Correlation of imaging ellipsometry results with results from complementary techniques such as white light interference microscopy as well as atomic force microscopy contribute to understanding of surface topography and defect formation mechanisms. We discuss the potential of different methods for analysing ellipsometric map data for monitoring the defect densities.
Electric properties of materials at the nanoscale can be investigated by means of scanning probe microscopy methods such as scanning microwave microscopy and conductive atomic force microscopy. However, development of new robust and easy-to-use calibration methods and calibration standards is essential to increase the traceability of these methods and allow their broad application in industry. We show how imaging spectroscopic ellipsometry can be used for development and monitoring of processing quality of patterned reference samples based on indium tin oxide (ITO) layer with different thickness and conductivity.
Ellipsometry is a powerful tool, which allows the investigation of material properties over a broad spectral range. Over the course of several years, the ellipsometry lab at BAM has become an accredited testing lab according to ISO/IEC 17025 laying bare the need of better methods for accuracy and traceability. Despite its wide range of application in both research and development as well as industry, there have been no generally accepted standards dealing with model validation and measurement uncertainties.
Based on the first German standard DIN 50989 – 1: 2018 Ellipsometry - Part 1: Principles (currently international standard ISO 23131: 2021) and under consideration of GUM [1] a series of standards for ellipsometry was developed. The entire 6-part series covers several model-based application cases. This standards series avoids having narrow and material specific application cases but instead classifies applications of ellipsometry according to the sample complexity. The concept of ellipsometric transfer quantities (Ψ and Δ or alternatively the elements of transfer matrices) is implemented in the series. For each application case a model-based validation strategy was developed. Thus, the standards are applicable to all materials, instruments and measuring principles.
The uniform structure concept of the series facilitates its practical applicability for users. The standards include the model-based GUM-compliant determination/estimation of the measurement uncertainties. In addition, the appendices of the documents contain numerous measurement and simulation examples as well as recommendations for measuring practice.
In this contribution we present the application cases and basic structure of the standards developed in collaboration with Accurion GmbH and SENTECH Instruments GmbH in the project SNELLIUS.
Ellipsometry has become a powerful measurement tool in semiconductor industry since the sixties of the last century.
Early standardization activities focused exclusively on SiO2/Si (ASTM F 576-01, SEMI 3624). The first generic standard dealing with ellipsometry is DIN 50989-1:2018 Ellipsometry – Part 1: Principles. Standardization is a prerequisite for accreditation according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 and the evaluation of uncertainty budgets.