NIST casts first thin-film semi standard

October 13, 2006 – The first standard for the chemical composition of thin-film semiconductor alloys has been issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which expects the 1-sq. cm x 3-micron thick coating of aluminum/gallium/arsenic will increase the accuracy of chemical characterization of AlGaAs films by an order of magnitude.

The standard reference material (SRM) 2841 was requested by the compound semiconductor industry to help measure and control thin-film composition as a basis for optimizing material and device properties, according to NIST. End applications include a wide range of optical devices, from laser disk players to traffic lights.

“Improved accuracy will reduce wasteful duplication of reference wafers, increase the free exchange of thin-film materials between vendors and their customers, and ultimately improve the accuracy of data on relationships between material composition and properties,” said NIST, in a statement.

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