ASTM F723-99 PDF

Full title and description

Designation F723-99 — Standard Practice for Conversion Between Resistivity and Dopant Density for Boron-Doped, Phosphorus-Doped, and Arsenic-Doped Silicon. This practice provides empirical conversions and recommended procedures to translate measured electrical resistivity of silicon (Ω·cm) to dopant (impurity) concentration (atoms·cm⁻³) and vice versa for common silicon dopants used in semiconductor wafers and devices.

Abstract

This ASTM practice presents preferred conversion relationships, tables, and computational expressions that relate bulk silicon resistivity to total dopant density for boron-, phosphorus-, and arsenic-doped single-crystal silicon at a reference temperature of 23 °C. The document documents the empirical basis, recommended ranges of applicability, accuracy (self-consistency), assumptions (for example, net carrier density equals dopant density when fully ionized), and limitations (compensation, precipitation, solid solubility effects) associated with using the conversions.

General information

• Status: Withdrawn (withdrawal recorded by ASTM in 2003).
• Publication date: 09 June 1999.
• Publisher: ASTM International (Committee F01 — Electronics / silicon technology).
• ICS / categories: 29.045 — Semiconducting materials.
• Edition / version: F723-99 (designation indicates 1999 adoption / revision).
• Number of pages: 15 pages (standard text length as published).

Scope

This practice specifies empirical conversions between electrical resistivity and total dopant density for boron-, phosphorus-, and arsenic-doped single-crystal silicon over a wide range of doping concentrations relevant to wafer manufacturing and device processing. Conversions are given for material at 23 °C and include guidance on temperature correction of resistivity measurements, limits for reliable application, and warnings about effects such as compensation, incomplete ionization, precipitation/solid-solubility limits, and other electrically active centers that can affect accuracy.

Key topics and requirements

• Preferred empirical conversion equations and charts for resistivity ↔ dopant density for boron and phosphorus; an arsenic conversion is also provided or recommended by extension where appropriate.
• Reference temperature: conversions are defined at 23 °C; users must correct resistivity measured at other temperatures (for example via Test Method F84) prior to applying conversions.
• Accuracy / self-consistency: typical self-consistency error reported ~3% for boron over its data range and ~4.5% for phosphorus over its data range; errors increase outside specified ranges.
• Applicability and limitations: conversions assume net carrier density ≈ dopant density (full ionization) in the applicable ranges; compensation (presence of both donors and acceptors), incomplete ionization at low temperature, or precipitation at very high concentrations reduce accuracy.
• Implementation guidance: recommended computational procedures, appendices with comparison to older compilations (e.g., Irvin), and notes on extending phosphorus-based data to similar donor species (arsenic, antimony) with caution.

Typical use and users

Used by semiconductor materials metrology laboratories, wafer manufacturers, process engineers, device designers, and researchers who need to translate measured resistivity into an estimate of dopant concentration (or vice versa) for process control, acceptance testing, modeling, and failure analysis. Also used as a reference in related ASTM test methods and by standards developers and educators in semiconductor technology.

Related standards

Standards and documents commonly referenced with or that reference Practice F723 include: ASTM Test Method F84 (temperature correction of resistivity), Terminology F1241 (silicon technology terminology), Test Method F1392 (carrier density profiles) and other silicon metrology practices. Internationally, similar conversion guidance appears in standards such as GB/T 13389 (practice for conversion between resistivity and dopant density). Users should consult current ASTM and international standards repositories for the latest, active documents.

Keywords

dopant density, conversion, resistivity, silicon, boron, phosphorus, arsenic, semiconductor metrology, 23 °C, compensation, solid solubility, ASTM F723-99

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ASTM F723-99 is a practice that defines empirical conversions between electrical resistivity and total dopant density for boron-, phosphorus-, and arsenic-doped single-crystal silicon. It provides equations, charts, and guidance for applying the conversions in semiconductor metrology.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers preferred resistivity-to-dopant-density and dopant-density-to-resistivity conversions at a reference temperature of 23 °C, recommended ranges of applicability, expected accuracy (self-consistency), and limitations such as compensation, incomplete ionization, precipitation, and temperature corrections.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Materials and process engineers, wafer and device manufacturers, metrology and test laboratories, and researchers in semiconductor fabrication and characterization. It is a practical reference for converting between electrical measurements and dopant concentration for specification, acceptance, and modeling tasks.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: This designation F723-99 was published 09 June 1999 and recorded as withdrawn by ASTM (withdrawal noted in 2003). Users should treat it as withdrawn and check current ASTM publications or applicable international standards (for example GB/T 13389) or more recent ASTM test methods for up-to-date practices.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is part of the body of ASTM standards and practices relevant to silicon technology and electronics (Committee F01). It is frequently cited alongside related ASTM test methods and terminology standards such as F84 (resistivity temperature correction), F1241 (terminology of silicon technology), and F1392 (carrier density profiles).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Resistivity, dopant density, boron, phosphorus, arsenic, silicon, semiconductor metrology, conversion, 23 °C, compensation, solid solubility, F723-99.