KLA Corporation
Measuring Temperature-Modulated Properties of a Test Sample

Abstract:

A physical property of a test sample with a conductive or semi-conductive material (line/area/volume) is obtained. Periodic Joule heating is induced within the test sample by passing an AC current across a first pair of probe terminals electrically connected to the test sample, measuring the voltage drop across a second pair of probe terminals electrically connected to the test sample at one and three times the fundamental excitation frequency of the current-conducting terminals, and calculating the temperature-modulated property/properties of the test sample as a function of the potential drop measurement(s). This includes: a) determining a value proportional to the TCR of the test sample, b) a geometric parameter of the test sample (affected by coupling of its TCR to heat transport to/from the test sample), or c) the true resistivity of the test sample at the ambient experimental temperature by subtracting measurable and accountable TCR offset(s).