Contact angle instrument

SURFTNES HL200

Contact angle measuring instrument suitable for wafers with a diameter of up to 8 inches

waferContact angle instrumentIt is a precision instrument designed to evaluate the wettability of semiconductor wafer surfaces, quantifying surface properties by measuring the contact angle (θ) formed at the gas liquid solid three-phase boundary.

physical background

The surface tension of photolithography materials, such as photoresist and developer, has a significant potential impact on the photolithography process itself. For example, the uniformity, flatness, and adhesion of spin coating directly depend on the surface tension characteristics of the materials involved. Similarly, the surface free energy (SFE) of the coating also has a significant impact on its performance.

In semiconductor technology, the surface free energy (SFE) of substrates and functional layers can be systematically studied through contact angle measurement techniques. By accurately measuring the contact angle, new process steps can be quickly optimized and known processes can be better standardized.

The slight changes in the surface characteristics of the wafer will be manifested as significant and easily detectable changes in the contact angle measurement results, providing clear guidance for process improvement. Investing a small amount of time in contact angle measurement can effectively avoid potential problems in subsequent production processes, thereby bringing significant economic benefits. It is crucial to ensure good adhesion between the photoresist and the substrate in order to reduce the defect density of the photoresist structure and achieve feature size control of less than 1 micron. With the help of contact angle measurement technology, effective control of adhesion can be easily and efficiently achieved.

SURFTENS HL 200waferContact angle instrumentcharacteristics

The SURFTENS HL 200 contact angle measurement system is developed specifically for the semiconductor industry and scientific research fields, and is particularly suitable for process control in silicon wafer surface treatment processes. It is an ideal tool for analyzing the contact angle and wettability of silicon wafers, which can efficiently meet the needs of rapid, high-precision, and convenient measurement of silicon wafer wettability.

SURFTENS HL 200Wafer contact angle measuring instrumentHas the following characteristics:

-Compact design, space saving, adopting a closed mechanical infrastructure;

-Equipped with high-quality measuring objectives, supporting fixed focal length to ensure measurement accuracy;

-Built in USB interface camera for high-definition image acquisition;

-All core components are integrated into a closed shell, effectively preventing misalignment caused by external interference;

-Provide a uniform and adjustable brightness LED lighting system to ensure consistency and stability in the measurement environment;

-The diameter of the crystal frustum is 200mm, and the surface is coated with PTFE to enhance corrosion resistance and anti pollution performance;

-Support manual precise adjustment and positioning of the crystal cone in the X-axis and rotation direction (φ);

-Special workbench structure for quickly mapping the contact angle distribution on silicon wafers;

-Can safely place wafers using vacuum tweezers;

-The crystal cone has a stroke range of 100 mm and 360 ° full angle rotation function, meeting diverse measurement needs;

-The measurement results are presented simultaneously in the protocol document and video images, facilitating analysis from different dimensions;

-If necessary, the surface free energy can be calculated based on the Wu/OWRK theory.

This structural design enables precise measurement of any point on the wafer surface.

The manual X-axis and φ axis of the crystal cone are equipped with precision scales for accurate positioning to the target position.

The adjustment function of the drip system is as follows:

-Manual Z-axis: used to adjust the height and position of the needle;

-Manual Y-axis: used to calibrate the center position of the needle;

-Manual X-axis: used to fine tune the focusing position of the needle.

The configurable scheme of the drip system is as follows:

-Configure a single manual direct drip system;

-Configure two manual direct drip systems;

-Configure a single automatic software controlled direct drip system;

-Configure two automatic software controlled direct drip systems;

-Combine a manual direct drip system with an automatic software controlled direct drip system.

Equipped with high-precision automatic measurement function

Test droplets (usually deionized water) are generated by a manual or automatic direct drip system. The droplet image will be displayed on the computer screen in real-time with high-quality video footage. The measurement process can be initiated with a single button operation, and the software can quickly calculate the contact angle and present the results in a graphical manner, while providing detailed data information. The measurement time for each drop is only 1 second, significantly reducing the possibility of errors. SURFTENS HL 200 ensures high repeatability and measurement accuracy while also providing a simple operating experience.

measurement software

The measurement software SURFTENS can achieve fully automatic and accurate measurement of the contact angle of suspended droplets based on various droplet shape fitting algorithms. Droplets can be automatically recognized and detected through image processing technology. Under low contrast conditions, the software provides various auxiliary droplet detection functions, such as supporting manual baseline setting and achieving fully manual contact angle measurement by specifying measurement points on the display. The service scope is further expanded by the following additional measurement functions and service options:

-Dynamically display the current contact angle value in real-time video images

-Automatically measure the contact angle over time and present the measurement results in the form of charts (cycle time can be freely selected, up to 50 times per second)

-Measurement of Forward Contact Angle and Backward Contact Angle Based on Real time Video Images

-Simultaneously measure the contact angle on both the left and right sides

-After the distribution process and droplet placement are completed, accurately detect the droplet volume

The software has a built-in evaluation module based on OWRK/Wu theory, which can calculate the surface free energy of solids by measuring the contact angle data of up to 5 liquids.

The function of extracting AVI files from real-time video streams is extremely practical. Afterwards, all measurement and document functions are applicable to the entire video or any individual image within the video.

The measurement results can be conveniently stored in records or video images.

Technical Specifications:

-Sample stage: with a diameter of 200mm or 300mm, supporting precise positioning of X/φ

-Sample thickness: 0-5mm

-Contact angle measurement range: 1 °~180 °

-Contact angle measurement resolution/accuracy: 0.01 °/± 0.1 ° (when measuring based on contact angle standards in real-time video mode)

-Optical system (standard configuration): 1x magnification, electrically adjustable focus

-Video system (standard): black and white, USB 2.0 interface, 440000 pixels

-Measure the tilt angle of the optical system: fixed at approximately 1 °

-Light source: Long life luminous panel

-Liquid addition unit: single manual (standard); Dual liquid addition unit or fully automatic liquid addition system (optional)

-Minimum titration volume: 0.2 μ L

-Titration resolution/accuracy: 0.1 μ L (using water as the medium)

-Syringe type: glass syringe or disposable syringe with Luer lock

-Operating System: Windows