Sensitivity of SEM/EDX to Detect Small Particles on Substrates.

1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1221-1222
Author(s):  
M.F. Thornton.
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Semiconductor Device ◽  
Minimum Size ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Small Particles ◽  
Size Of Particles ◽  
Beam Currents ◽  
Scientific Fields ◽  
Sources Of Contamination

The characterization of microscopic particles on substrates is of interest in numerous scientific fields. One example is semiconductor device defect review, where the characterization of particles or defects on a device is an essential aid in tracing sources of contamination in the production process. With the ever decreasing component separation on the integrated circuits the sensitivity of SEM/EDX to detect small particles on substrates is an important issue. The minimum size of particles causing defects in semiconductor device manufacture is predicted to decrease from 0.12µm today to 0.02µm by the year 2010. The question of interest is how long the SEM/EDX analysis tool can continue to be used to identify elements present in “killer” defect particles of ever decreasing size? This paper attempts to address this question.It has already been shown that films as thin as a monolayer can be detected with WDX provided high beam currents are available.

Some applications of electron beam microanalysis techniques in VLSI process evaluation

1983 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 160-161
Author(s):  
Simon Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Analysis Of Failures ◽  
Characterization Of Materials ◽  
Circuits Vlsi

Trends in the technology development of very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI) have been in the direction of higher density of components with smaller dimensions. The scaling down of device dimensions has been not only laterally but also in depth. Such efforts in miniaturization bring with them new developments in materials and processing. Successful implementation of these efforts is, to a large extent, dependent on the proper understanding of the material properties, process technologies and reliability issues, through adequate analytical studies. The analytical instrumentation technology has, fortunately, kept pace with the basic requirements of devices with lateral dimensions in the micron/ submicron range and depths of the order of nonometers. Often, newer analytical techniques have emerged or the more conventional techniques have been adapted to meet the more stringent requirements. As such, a variety of analytical techniques are available today to aid an analyst in the efforts of VLSI process evaluation. Generally such analytical efforts are divided into the characterization of materials, evaluation of processing steps and the analysis of failures.

Particle characterization of CVD tungsten metallization for 64 MBIT DRAM

1991 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 896-897
Author(s):  
Marylyn Bennett-Lilley ◽  
Thomas T.H. Fu ◽  
David D. Yin ◽  
R. Allen Bowling
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Device Performance ◽  
Particle Characterization ◽  
Particle Generation ◽  
Tungsten Hexafluoride ◽  
Homogeneous Particle ◽  
Multiple Levels ◽  
Circuit Density ◽  
Sources Of Contamination

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) tungsten metallization is used to increase VLSI device performance due to its low resistivity, and improved reliability over other metallization schemes. Because of its conformal nature as a blanket film, CVD-W has been adapted to multiple levels of metal which increases circuit density. It has been used to fabricate 16 MBIT DRAM technology in a manufacturing environment, and is the metallization for 64 MBIT DRAM technology currently under development. In this work, we investigate some sources of contamination. One possible source of contamination is impurities in the feed tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) gas. Another is particle generation from the various reactor components. Another generation source is homogeneous particle generation of particles from the WF6 gas itself. The purpose of this work is to investigate and analyze CVD-W process-generated particles, and establish a particle characterization methodology.

Applications of SIMS to electronic materials and devices

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 1682-1683
Author(s):  
S.F. Corcoran
Keyword(s):  
Depth Distribution ◽  
Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Semiconductor Device ◽  
Electronic Materials ◽  
Profile Analysis ◽  
Semiconductor Industry ◽  
Small Diameter ◽  
Depth Resolution ◽  
Detection Sensitivity

Over the past decade secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has played an increasingly important role in the characterization of electronic materials and devices. The ability of SIMS to provide part per million detection sensitivity for most elements while maintaining excellent depth resolution has made this technique indispensable in the semiconductor industry. Today SIMS is used extensively in the characterization of dopant profiles, thin film analysis, and trace analysis in bulk materials. The SIMS technique also lends itself to 2-D and 3-D imaging via either the use of stigmatic ion optics or small diameter primary beams.By far the most common application of SIMS is the determination of the depth distribution of dopants (B, As, P) intentionally introduced into semiconductor materials via ion implantation or epitaxial growth. Such measurements are critical since the dopant concentration and depth distribution can seriously affect the performance of a semiconductor device. In a typical depth profile analysis, keV ion sputtering is used to remove successive layers the sample.

High-resolution electron microscopy of nanostructured materials

1995 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 172-173
Author(s):  
M. José-Yacamán
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
Nanostructured Materials ◽  
High Resolution Electron Microscopy ◽  
Hrem Image ◽  
Small Particles ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
Nanophase Materials

Electron microscopy is a fundamental tool in materials characterization. In the case of nanostructured materials we are looking for features with a size in the nanometer range. Therefore often the conventional TEM techniques are not enough for characterization of nanophases. High Resolution Electron Microscopy (HREM), is a key technique in order to characterize those materials with a resolution of ~ 1.7A. High resolution studies of metallic nanostructured materials has been also reported in the literature. It is concluded that boundaries in nanophase materials are similar in structure to the regular grain boundaries. That work therefore did not confirm the early hipothesis on the field that grain boundaries in nanostructured materials have a special behavior. We will show in this paper that by a combination of HREM image processing, and image calculations, it is possible to prove that small particles and coalesced grains have a significant surface roughness, as well as large internal strain.

TEM characterization of WSix films

1994 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 848-849
Author(s):  
V. C. Kannan ◽  
S. M. Merchant ◽  
R. B. Irwin ◽  
A. K. Nanda ◽  
M. Sundahl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Vapor Deposition ◽  
High Purity ◽  
Physical Vapor Deposition ◽  
Thermal Treatments ◽  
Rapid Thermal Anneal ◽  
Tungsten Silicide ◽  
Tem Characterization ◽  
Metal Silicides

Metal silicides such as WSi2, MoSi2, TiSi2, TaSi2 and CoSi2 have received wide attention in recent years for semiconductor applications in integrated circuits. In this study, we describe the microstructures of WSix films deposited on SiO2 (oxide) and polysilicon (poly) surfaces on Si wafers afterdeposition and rapid thermal anneal (RTA) at several temperatures. The stoichiometry of WSix films was confirmed by Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS). A correlation between the observed microstructure and measured sheet resistance of the films was also obtained.WSix films were deposited by physical vapor deposition (PVD) using magnetron sputteringin a Varian 3180. A high purity tungsten silicide target with a Si:W ratio of 2.85 was used. Films deposited on oxide or poly substrates gave rise to a Si:W ratio of 2.65 as observed by RBS. To simulatethe thermal treatments of subsequent processing procedures, wafers with tungsten silicide films were subjected to RTA (AG Associates Heatpulse 4108) in a N2 ambient for 60 seconds at temperatures ranging from 700° to 1000°C.

Preparation of integrated circuits for TEM electromigration in situ studies

1986 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 882-883
Author(s):  
J. V. Maskowitz ◽  
W. E. Rhoden ◽  
D. R. Kitchen ◽  
R. E. Omlor ◽  
P. F. Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Crystallographic Orientation ◽  
Silicon Wafers ◽  
Minimum Size ◽  
Test Vehicle ◽  
In Situ Studies ◽  
Boron Doped ◽  
Doped Silicon ◽  
Drill Holes

The fabrication of the aluminum bridge test vehicle for use in the crystallographic studies of electromigration involves several photolithographic processes, some common, while others quite unique. It is most important to start with a clean wafer of known orientation. The wafers used are 7 mil thick boron doped silicon. The diameter of the wafer is 1.5 inches with a resistivity of 10-20 ohm-cm. The crystallographic orientation is (111).Initial attempts were made to both drill and laser holes in the silicon wafers then back fill with photoresist or mounting wax. A diamond tipped dentist burr was used to successfully drill holes in the wafer. This proved unacceptable in that the perimeter of the hole was cracked and chipped. Additionally, the minimum size hole realizable was > 300 μm. The drilled holes could not be arrayed on the wafer to any extent because the wafer would not stand up to the stress of multiple drilling.

Detection and Characterization of an Electrical Failure Induced during Laser Ablation of Packages

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Schwindenhammer ◽  
H. Murray ◽  
P. Descamps ◽  
P. Poirier
Keyword(s):  
Laser Ablation ◽  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Failure Analysis ◽  
Ablation Process ◽  
Thermally Induced ◽  
Electrical Failure ◽  
Electrical Phenomenon ◽  
Semiconductor Packages ◽  
Complex Semiconductor

Abstract Decapsulation of complex semiconductor packages for failure analysis is enhanced by laser ablation. If lasers are potentially dangerous for Integrated Circuits (IC) surface they also generate a thermal elevation of the package during the ablation process. During measurement of this temperature it was observed another and unexpected electrical phenomenon in the IC induced by laser. It is demonstrated that this new phenomenon is not thermally induced and occurs under certain ablation conditions.

Characterization of Interconnect Defects Using Scanning Thermal Conductivity Microscopy

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.W. Ho ◽  
J.C.H. Phang ◽  
A. Altes ◽  
L.J. Balk
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Large Scale

Abstract In this paper, scanning thermal conductivity microscopy is used to characterize interconnect defects due to electromigration. Similar features are observed both in the temperature and thermal conductivity micrographs. The key advantage of the thermal conductivity mode is that specimen bias is not required. This is an important advantage for the characterization of defects in large scale integrated circuits. The thermal conductivity micrographs of extrusion, exposed and subsurface voids are presented and compared with the corresponding topography and temperature micrographs.

Emerging Techniques for the Characterization of Nano-Mechanical Properties of Integrated Circuit Components

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Randall ◽  
Rahul Premachandran Nair
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Quality Control ◽  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Manufacturing Process ◽  
Solder Bumps ◽  
Initial Work ◽  
Circuit Components ◽  
Materials Used

Abstract With the growing complexity of integrated circuits (IC) comes the issue of quality control during the manufacturing process. In order to avoid late realization of design flaws which could be very expensive, the characterization of the mechanical properties of the IC components needs to be carried out in a more efficient and standardized manner. The effects of changes in the manufacturing process and materials used on the functioning and reliability of the final device also need to be addressed. Initial work on accurately determining several key mechanical properties of bonding pads, solder bumps and coatings using a combination of different methods and equipment has been summarized.

scholarly journals Insights into Mechanical Properties of the 1980 Irpinia Fault System from the Analysis of a Seismic Sequence

Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Gaetano Festa ◽  
Guido Maria Adinolfi ◽  
Alessandro Caruso ◽  
Simona Colombelli ◽  
Grazia De Landro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Minimum Size ◽  
Double Difference ◽  
Warning Systems ◽  
Initiation Mechanism ◽  
Earthquake Early Warning Systems ◽  
The One

Seismic sequences are a powerful tool to locally infer geometrical and mechanical properties of faults and fault systems. In this study, we provided detailed location and characterization of events of the 3–7 July 2020 Irpinia sequence (southern Italy) that occurred at the northern tip of the main segment that ruptured during the 1980 Irpinia earthquake. Using an autocorrelation technique, we detected more than 340 events within the sequence, with local magnitude ranging between −0.5 and 3.0. We thus provided double difference locations, source parameter estimation, and focal mechanisms determination for the largest quality events. We found that the sequence ruptured an asperity with a size of about 800 m, along a fault structure having a strike compatible with the one of the main segments of the 1980 Irpinia earthquake, and a dip of 50–55° at depth of 10.5–12 km and 60–65° at shallower depths (7.5–9 km). Low stress drop release (average of 0.64 MPa) indicates a fluid-driven initiation mechanism of the sequence. We also evaluated the performance of the earthquake early warning systems running in real-time during the sequence, retrieving a minimum size for the blind zone in the area of about 15 km.

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