Pin-Point Transmission Electron Microscopic Analysis Applied to Off-Leakage Failures of a Bipolar Transistor in 0.5μm BiCMOS Devices

Author(s):  
M. Okihara ◽  
H. Tanaka ◽  
N. Hirashita ◽  
T. Nakamura ◽  
H. Okada ◽  
...  

Abstract Pin-point (specific area) planar transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis has been improved to study process-induced defects in recent very large scale integrated (VLSI) devices. The specimens are prepared by a combination of marking failure sites with focused ion beam (FTB) equipment and planar TEM specimen preparation technique. This method provides not only planar observation of localized failures with an accurate observation with high positioning accuracy but also wide range of observable area which is feasible to carry out some application techniques associated with TEM. In particular, it is found to be a powerful method to identify the nature of crystalline defects which cause the failures. This work presents the detailed procedure and demonstrates its successful applicability via studying a leaky bipolar transistor in 0.5μm BiCMOS devices (one failure of more than 4500 transistors). The results clarify the presence of stacking faults, formed during epitaxial growth, between collector and emitter regions in the specific transistor with resistive collector-emitter leakage current.

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.


2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (S2) ◽  
pp. 508-509
Author(s):  
L. A. Giannuzzi ◽  
F. A. Stevie

In recent years, the focused ion beam (FIB) instrument has developed into a mainstay tool for the production of specimens for both scanning and transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM). The inception and subsequent development of the FIB TEM lift-out (LO) technique has enabled electron transparent membranes of generally uniform thickness to be produced for TEM analysis. In general, the primary advantage of the FIB is that site specific sections may be fabricated quickly (e.g., < 1 hour) and reproducibly. Specifically, the FIB LO technique has been used extensively in our laboratories to produce on the order of a thousand Si-based specimens per year and hundreds of other specimens per year that have included metals, ceramics, composites, biological materials, geological materials, polymers, particles, and fibers, prepared in cross-section, plan view, and from fracture surfaces.


Author(s):  
K. Doong ◽  
J.-M. Fu ◽  
Y.-C. Huang

Abstract The specimen preparation technique using focused ion beam (FIB) to generate cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) samples of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of Tungsten-plug (W-plug) and Tungsten Silicides (WSix) was studied. Using the combination method including two axes tilting[l], gas enhanced focused ion beam milling[2] and sacrificial metal coating on both sides of electron transmission membrane[3], it was possible to prepare a sample with minimal thickness (less than 1000 A) to get high spatial resolution in TEM observation. Based on this novel thinning technique, some applications such as XTEM observation of W-plug with different aspect ratio (I - 6), and the grain structure of CVD W-plug and CVD WSix were done. Also the problems and artifacts of XTEM sample preparation of high Z-factor material such as CVD W-plug and CVD WSix were given and the ways to avoid or minimize them were suggested.


Author(s):  
Chin Kai Liu ◽  
Chi Jen. Chen ◽  
Jeh Yan.Chiou ◽  
David Su

Abstract Focused ion beam (FIB) has become a useful tool in the Integrated Circuit (IC) industry, It is playing an important role in Failure Analysis (FA), circuit repair and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) specimen preparation. In particular, preparation of TEM samples using FIB has become popular within the last ten years [1]; the progress in this field is well documented. Given the usefulness of FIB, “Artifact” however is a very sensitive issue in TEM inspections. The ability to identify those artifacts in TEM analysis is an important as to understanding the significance of pictures In this paper, we will describe how to measure the damages introduced by FIB sample preparation and introduce a better way to prevent such kind of artifacts.


1999 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 12-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucille A. Giannuzzi ◽  
Richard Young ◽  
Pete Carleson

AbstractDriven by the analytical needs of microelectronics, magnetic media and micro-fabrication industries, focused ion beam (FIB) systems are now capable of milling and manipulating samples for the analysis of microstructure features having dimensions of 180 nm or less, A technique for locating and extracting site specific specimens for examination by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been developed. An identified feature can be located and precisely milled with an FIB system from two sides to prepare an ultrathin sample, and then extracted from the region with a glass rod micromanipulator onto a grid for TEM analysis. This specimen preparation method has been applied to semiconductor failure analysis and to the study of metallic and ceramic microsiructures with irregular topographies and complex mufti-layered components.


2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (S2) ◽  
pp. 528-529
Author(s):  
C. Urbanik Shannon ◽  
L. A. Giannuzzi ◽  
E. M. Raz

Automated specimen preparation for transmission electron microscopy has the obvious advantage of saving personnel time. While some people may perform labor intensive specimen preparation techniques quickly, automated specimen preparation performed in a timely and reproducible fashion can significantly improve the throughput of specimens in an industrial laboratory. The advent of focused ion beam workstations for the preparation of electron transparent membranes has revolutionized TEM specimen preparation. The FIB lift-out technique is a powerful specimen preparation method. However, there are instances where the “traditional” FIB method of specimen preparation may be more suitable. The traditional FIB method requires that specimens must be prepared so that the area of interest is as thin as possible (preferably less than 50 μm) prior to FIB milling. Automating the initial specimen preparation for brittle materials (e.g., Si wafers) may be performed using the combination of cleaving and sawing techniques as described below.


1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (S2) ◽  
pp. 886-887
Author(s):  
R. Hull ◽  
D. Dunn ◽  
J. Demarest ◽  
D.T. Mathes

The combination of focused ion beam (FIB) sputtering with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) offers new opportunities for the nanoscale characterization of materials. The FIB may be used to prepare membranes for TEM imaging which are: (i) Site selective, i.e. the membranes may be placed with sub-micron precision in all three dimensions, (ii) Largely free of differential sputtering artifacts, such that membranes may be prepared which are of constant thickness from structures with very dissimilar materials, and (iii) Of precisely known geometry.The challenges associated with FIB specimen preparation will also be discussed and are summarized in Figure 1: (a) Surface amorphization damage, (b) Residual differential sputtering effects, (c) Redeposition of sputtered material and (d) Membrane bowing due to internal or beaminduced stresses. It will be demonstrated that each of these effects can be sufficiently controlled to allow high quality diffraction contrast imaging in a wide range of materials.


2013 ◽  
Vol 753 ◽  
pp. 3-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideki Matsushima ◽  
Toshiaki Suzuki ◽  
Takeshi Nokuo

Functions of an observation and an analysis in electron microscope, such as scanning electron microscope (SEM) or transmission electron microscope (TEM) are indispensable to evaluate advanced materials. Therefore a specimen preparation technique, that is a front end of the electron microscopy, has become highly important, thus a choice of it affects a result of the evaluation. The authors was combined a cooling stage in FIB and applied it for evaluation of metals with low melting point. The electron microscopic evaluation of Lead solder, Indium, Tin and Bismuth, metals with low melting point, has been always discussed if the results represent the actual physics. Metals with low melting point are heat sensitive materials, so the comparison of cross-sectioning with room and low temperature, it can be said that low temperature cross-sectioning has less effect and keeps the actual physics of the sample. In this paper, some knowledge from comparisons of cross-sectioning with room and low temperature for metals with low melting point are reported.


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