Effects of Ion Species and Energy on the Amorphization of Si During FIB TEM Sample Preparation as Determined by Computational and Experimental Methods

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (S2) ◽  
pp. 526-527
Author(s):  
R. B. Jamison ◽  
A. J. Mardinly ◽  
D. W. Susnitzky ◽  
R. Gronsky

Gallium focused ion beam (FIB) milling is the method of choice to prepare cross sections of selected features from microelectronic devices for transmission electron microscope (TEM) imaging and analysis. The FIB milling technique is unsurpassed in producing an ultra-thin cross section accurately located through the feature of interest. While much effort has been invested in the development and refinement of Ga+ FIB techniques and instrumentation, there are problems due to the physics of the ion-solid interaction. The problem of surface amorphization limits the quality of the TEM samples and its significance increases as the feature size and the specimen thickness decrease.In Ga+ FIB milling of silicon, the amorphous damage layer consists of amorphous Si doped with implanted Ga. This damage layer is caused by ions that strike the surface of the silicon and are subsequently scattered laterally as a result of collisions with the Si atoms.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevieve Buckley ◽  
Gediminas Gervinskas ◽  
Cyntia Taveneau ◽  
Hari Venugopal ◽  
James C. Whisstock ◽  
...  

AbstractCryo-transmission electron tomography (cryo-ET) in association with cryo-focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) milling enables structural biology studies to be performed directly within the cellular environment. Cryo-preserved cells are milled and a lamella with a thickness of 200-300 nm provides an electron transparent window suitable for cryo-ET imaging. Cryo-FIB milling is an effective method, but it is a tedious and time-consuming process, which typically results in ~10 lamellae per day. Here, we introduce an automated method to reproducibly prepare cryo-lamellae on a grid and reduce the amount of human supervision. We tested the routine on cryo-preserved Saccharomyces cerevisiae and demonstrate that this method allows an increased throughput, achieving a rate of 5 lamellae/hour without the need to supervise the FIB milling. We demonstrate that the quality of the lamellae is consistent throughout the preparation and their compatibility with cryo-ET analyses.


1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (S2) ◽  
pp. 908-909
Author(s):  
J.L. Drown-MacDonald ◽  
B.I. Prenitzer ◽  
T.L. Shofner ◽  
L.A. Giannuzzi

Focused Ion Beam (FIB) specimen preparation for both scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM respectively) has seen an increase in usage over the past few years. The advantage to the FIB is that site specific cross sections (or plan view sections) may be fabricated quickly and reproducibly from numerous types of materials using a finely focused beam of Ga+ ions [1,2]. It was demonstrated by Prenitzer et al. that TEM specimens may be acquired from individual Zn powder particles by employing the FIB LO specimen preparation technique [3]. In this paper, we use the FIB LO technique to prepare TEM specimens from Mount Saint Helens volcanic ash.Volcanic ash from Mount Saint Helens was obtained at the Microscopy and Microanalysis 1998 meeting in Atlanta. TEM analysis of the ash was performed using the FIB lift out technique [1]. Ash powders were dusted onto an SEM sample stud that had been coated with silver paint.


2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadette Domenges ◽  
Karine Charlet

AbstractIn this article, it is shown that focused ion beam (FIB) systems can be used to study the inner structure of flax fibers, the use of which as a reinforcing material in polymer composites still draws much interest from multiple disciplines. This technique requires none of the specific preparations necessary for scanning electron microscopy or transmission electron microscopy studies. Irradiation experiments performed on FIB prepared cross sections with very low Ga+ion beam currents revealed the softer material components of fibers. Thus, it confirmed the presence of pectin-rich layers at the interfaces between the fibers of a bundle, but also allowed the precise localization of such layers within the secondary cell wall. Furthermore, it suggested new insights on the transition modes between the sublayers of the secondary cell wall.


Author(s):  
Tejpal K. Hooghan ◽  
Kultaransingh Hooghan ◽  
Sho Nakahara ◽  
Robert K. Wolf ◽  
Robert W. Privette ◽  
...  

Abstract This paper describes a new diagnostic technique for analyzing microstructural changes occurring to flip chip joints after accelerated thermal tests. Flip chip reliability was assessed at high temperatures, with and without the application of electrical bias. A combination of standard metallurgical polishing techniques and the use of a focused ion beam (FIB) lift out technique was employed to make site-specific samples for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) cross-sections. We studied evaporated 95Pb/5Sn bumps, on sputtered Cr/CrCu/Cu/Au as the under bump metallization (UBM). Thermally stressed samples were tested for electrical continuity and evaluated using 50 MHz C-mode scanning acoustic microscopy (C-SAM). Failed samples were crosssectioned and large voids at the UBM were observed optically. TEM specimens taken from the predefined UBM region of degraded flip chip devices provided critical microstructural information, which led to a better understanding of a cause of degradation occurring in the flip chip joints.


Author(s):  
Q. Liu ◽  
H.B. Kor ◽  
Y.W. Siah ◽  
C.L. Gan

Abstract Dual-beam focused ion beam (DB-FIB) system is widely used in the semiconductor industry to prepare cross-sections and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) lamellae, modify semiconductor devices and verify layout. One of the factors that limits its success rate is sample charging, which is caused by a lack of conductive path to discharge the accumulated charges. In this paper, an approach using an insitu micromanipulator was investigated to alleviate the charging effects. With this approach, a simple front side semiconductor device modification was carried out and the corresponding stage current was monitored to correlate to the milling process.


2009 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 20-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suhan Kim ◽  
Gao Liu ◽  
Andrew M. Minor

Focused ion beam (FIB) instrumentation has proven to be extremely useful for preparing cross-sectional samples for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations. The two most widely used methods involve milling a trench on either side of an electron-transparent window: the “H-bar” and the “lift-out” methods [1]. Although these two methods are very powerful in their versatility and ability to make site-specific TEM samples, they rely on using a sacrificial layer to protect the surface of the sample as well as the removal of a relatively large amount of material, depending on the size of the initial sample. In this article we describe a technique for making thin film cross-sections with the FIB, known as Shadow FIBing, that does not require the use of a sacrificial layer or long milling times [2].


2002 ◽  
Vol 738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heinz D. Wanzenboeck ◽  
Stefan Harasek ◽  
Wolfgang Brezna ◽  
Alois Lugstein ◽  
Helmut Langfischer ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTImaging critical features by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) or scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provides a versatile approach for nanostructure characterization. The combination of focused ion beam (FIB) technology for exposing defective sites beneath the surface is shown. Reliability testing and defect analysis by localized characterization of multilayered structures is demonstrated. TEM-imaging of a transistor gate with a locally confined radiation damage demonstrates target preparation by FIB yielding high-resolution TEM samples. The TEM imaging requires a longer sample preparation but provides high image quality (TEM). Investigation of materials previously processed with FIB revealed amorphization damage by the high energetic Ga-ion beam. This damage layer with a thickness in the range of 50 to 100 nm was confirmed in simulation. This disadvantageous damage by amorphization originating from FIB preparation of the cross-section could be removed by soft sputtering with a 250 V Ar+ ion beam. This combined method using FIB for microsample preparation and TEM for imaging and analysis was proven to be a powerful tool the exploitation of nanostructured devices and for defect analysis on a highly localized scale.


2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 3347-3350 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Lloyd ◽  
J. M. Molina-Aldareguia ◽  
W. J. Clegg

Cross sections through nanoindents on Si, Ge, and GaAs {001} were examined through transmission electron microscopy. A focused ion beam workstation was used to machine electron transparent windows through the indents. In both Si and Ge there was a transformed zone immediately under the indent composed of amorphous material and a mixture of face-centered-cubic and body-centered cubic crystals. Cracking and dislocation generation were also observed around the transformed zone. In GaAs the dominant deformation mechanism was twinning on the {11} planes. The hardness of these materials is discussed in light of these observations and their macroscopic material properties such as phase transformation pressure.


2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (S2) ◽  
pp. 956-957
Author(s):  
S. Rubanov ◽  
P.R. Munroe

The technique for the preparation of specimens for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using the focused ion beam (FIB) miller typically consists of a series of milling steps performed over both sides of an area of interest until an electron transparent membrane is achieved [1]. This process is often accompanied by the formation of damage layers on the surfaces of the specimen. The origins of any damage layer are still not clear. On one hand the process of amorphisation of the target material by the highly energetic ion beam is well known. Alternatively, other workers have reported that this damage layer can be connected with redeposition of milled material. [2,3]. in this paper we have studied redeposition effects during FIB milling of silicon TEM specimens.A FEI xP200 FIB system with a Ga+ ion source operating at 30 kV was used in this work. to study redeposition effects a row of trenches on a silicon specimen was milled under different beam currents ranging from 1000 to 6600 pA. The size of such trenches was 15x10 μm wide and 1 μm deep. The specimen was then removed from the FIB and sputter coated with a ∼50-100 nm thick Au film to preserve the trench surfaces from further damage during subsequent milling. The specimen was then placed back in the FIB system and a second set of trenches 5×8 μm wide and 0.6 μm deep was milled on the bottom of first set of trenches (Fig. 1a). The specimens were sputter coated with Au again and were placed back in the FIB system and the trenches were then covered with 1 μ thick Pt strips using the metal deposition facility of the FIB. The presence of these protection layers (Au and Pt) ensures that the final TEM specimen have unmodified original damage layers resulting from the initial milling steps. Cross-sectional TEM specimens of the trench walls were then prepared using normal FIB procedures (Fig. 1b) [2].


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