Backside Emission Microscopy for Integrated Circuits on Heavily Doped Substrate

Author(s):  
Ching-Lang Chiang ◽  
Neeraj Khurana ◽  
Daniel T. Hurley ◽  
Ken Teasdale

Abstract Backside emission microscopy on heavily doped substrate materials was analyzed from the viewpoint of optical absorption by the substrate and sample preparation technique. Although it was widely believed that silicon is transparent to infrared (IR) radiation, we demonstrated by using published absorption data that silicon with doping levels above 5 x 1018cm-3 is virtually opaque, leaving only a narrow transmission window around the energy bandgap. Because the transmission depends exponentially on the thickness of die, thinning to below 100µm is shown to be required. Even an advanced IR sensor such as HgCdTe would find little light to detect without thinning the die. For imaging the circuit, an IR laser-based system produced poor images in which the diffraction patterns often ruined the contrast and obscured the image. Hence, a precise, controlled die thinning technique is required both for emission detection and backside imaging. A thinning and polishing technique was briefly described that was believed to be applicable to most ceramic packages. A software technique was employed to solve the image quality problem commonly encountered in backside imaging applications using traditional microscope light source and a scientific grade CCD camera. Finally, we showed the impact of die thickness on imaging circuits on a heavily doped n type substrate.

Author(s):  
J.C.H. Spence ◽  
J. Mayer

The Zeiss 912 is a new fully digital, side-entry, 120 Kv TEM/STEM instrument for materials science, fitted with an omega magnetic imaging energy filter. Pumping is by turbopump and ion pump. The magnetic imaging filter allows energy-filtered images or diffraction patterns to be recorded without scanning using efficient parallel (area) detection. The energy loss intensity distribution may also be displayed on the screen, and recorded by scanning it over the PMT supplied. If a CCD camera is fitted and suitable new software developed, “parallel ELS” recording results. For large fields of view, filtered images can be recorded much more efficiently than by Scanning Reflection Electron Microscopy, and the large background of inelastic scattering removed. We have therefore evaluated the 912 for REM and RHEED applications. Causes of streaking and resonance in RHEED patterns are being studied, and a more quantitative analysis of CBRED patterns may be possible. Dark field band-gap REM imaging of surface states may also be possible.


Author(s):  
Jaap Brink ◽  
Wah Chiu

Crotoxin complex is the principal neurotoxin of the South American rattlesnake, Crotalus durissus terrificus and has a molecular weight of 24 kDa. The protein is a heterodimer with subunit A assigneda chaperone function. Subunit B carries the lethal activity, which is exerted on both sides ofthe neuro-muscular junction, and which is thought to involve binding to the acetylcholine receptor. Insight in crotoxin complex’ mode of action can be gained from a 3 Å resolution structure obtained by electron crystallography. This abstract communicates our progress in merging the electron diffraction amplitudes into a 3-dimensional (3D) intensity data set close to completion. Since the thickness of crotoxin complex crystals varies from one crystal to the other, we chose to collect tilt series of electron diffraction patterns after determining their thickness. Furthermore, by making use of the symmetry present in these tilt data, intensities collected only from similar crystals will be merged.Suitable crystals of glucose-embedded crotoxin complex were searched for in the defocussed diffraction mode with the goniometer tilted to 55° of higher in a JEOL4000 electron cryo-microscopc operated at 400 kV with the crystals kept at -120°C in a Gatan 626 cryo-holder. The crystal thickness was measured using the local contrast of the crystal relative to the supporting film from search-mode images acquired using a 1024 x 1024 slow-scan CCD camera (model 679, Gatan Inc.).


Author(s):  
Wah Chiu ◽  
Michael Sherman ◽  
Jaap Brink

In protein electron crystallography, both low dose electron diffraction patterns and images are needed to provide accurate amplitudes and phases respectively for a 3-dimensional reconstruction. We have demonstrated that the Gatan 1024x1024 model 679 slow-scan CCD camera is useful to record electron diffraction intensities of glucose-embedded crotoxin complex crystal to 3 Å resolution. The quality of the electron diffraction intensities is high on the basis of the measured intensity equivalence ofthe Friedel-related reflections. Moreover, the number of patterns recorded from a single crystal can be as high as 120 under the constraints of radiation damage and electron statistics for the reflections in each pattern.A limitation of the slow-scan CCD camera for recording electron images of protein crystal arises from the relatively large pixel size, i.e. 24 μm (provided by Gatan). The modulation transfer function of our camera with a P43 scintillator has been determined for 400 keV electrons and shows an amplitude fall-off to 0.25 at 1/60 μm−1.


Author(s):  
Halit Dogan ◽  
Md Mahbub Alam ◽  
Navid Asadizanjani ◽  
Sina Shahbazmohamadi ◽  
Domenic Forte ◽  
...  

Abstract X-ray tomography is a promising technique that can provide micron level, internal structure, and three dimensional (3D) information of an integrated circuit (IC) component without the need for serial sectioning or decapsulation. This is especially useful for counterfeit IC detection as demonstrated by recent work. Although the components remain physically intact during tomography, the effect of radiation on the electrical functionality is not yet fully investigated. In this paper we analyze the impact of X-ray tomography on the reliability of ICs with different fabrication technologies. We perform a 3D imaging using an advanced X-ray machine on Intel flash memories, Macronix flash memories, Xilinx Spartan 3 and Spartan 6 FPGAs. Electrical functionalities are then tested in a systematic procedure after each round of tomography to estimate the impact of X-ray on Flash erase time, read margin, and program operation, and the frequencies of ring oscillators in the FPGAs. A major finding is that erase times for flash memories of older technology are significantly degraded when exposed to tomography, eventually resulting in failure. However, the flash and Xilinx FPGAs of newer technologies seem less sensitive to tomography, as only minor degradations are observed. Further, we did not identify permanent failures for any chips in the time needed to perform tomography for counterfeit detection (approximately 2 hours).


Author(s):  
Apangshu Das ◽  
Sambhu Nath Pradhan

Background: Output polarity of the sub-function is generally considered to reduce the area and power of a circuit at the two-level realization. Along with area and power, the power-density is also one of the significant parameter which needs to be consider, because power-density directly converges to circuit temperature. More than 50% of the modern day integrated circuits are damaged due to excessive overheating. Methods: This work demonstrates the impact of efficient power density based logic synthesis (in the form of suitable polarity selection of sub-function of Programmable Logic Arrays (PLAs) for its multilevel realization) for the reduction of temperature. Two-level PLA optimization using output polarity selection is considered first and compared with other existing techniques and then And-Invert Graphs (AIG) based multi-level realization has been considered to overcome the redundant solution generated in two-level synthesis. AIG nodes and associated power dissipation can be reduced by rewriting, refactoring and balancing technique. Reduction of nodes leads to the reduction of the area but on the contrary increases power and power density of the circuit. A meta-heuristic search approach i.e., Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II) is proposed to select the suitable output polarity of PLA sub-functions for its optimal realization. Results: Best power density based solution saves up to 8.29% power density compared to ‘espresso – dopo’ based solutions. Around 9.57% saving in area and 9.67% saving in power (switching activity) are obtained with respect to ‘espresso’ based solution using NSGA-II. Conclusion: Suitable output polarity realized circuit is converted into multi-level AIG structure and synthesized to overcome the redundant solution at the two-level circuit. It is observed that with the increase in power density, the temperature of a particular circuit is also increases.


2017 ◽  
Vol 121 (24) ◽  
pp. 245701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Barget ◽  
Michele Virgilio ◽  
Giovanni Capellini ◽  
Yuji Yamamoto ◽  
Thomas Schroeder
Keyword(s):  

2021 ◽  
pp. 002199832110558
Author(s):  
Panayiotis Ketikis ◽  
Efthimios Damopoulos ◽  
Georgios Pilatos ◽  
Panagiotis Klonos ◽  
Apostolos Kyritsis ◽  
...  

The impact of the incorporation of graphene nanoplatelets (GN) on the properties of hydroxyl-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) matrices was investigated. The composites were prepared by solution mixing, using tetrahydrofuran (THF) as a solvent. Brookfield viscosimetry, implemented during the vulcanization process, revealed that GN increases the viscosity of the system, compared to pristine PDMS, proportionally to its concentration. X-ray diffraction patterns suggested an efficient dispersion of GN in the polysiloxane matrix. The D and G bands ratio (ID/IG) calculation, based on RAMAN spectra of GN/PDMS specimens, revealed more defects in graphene nanoplatelets when incorporated in the PDMS matrix. By differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), a marginal increase in crystallization, glass transition and melting temperatures of PDMS in GN/PDMS composites was observed. Improvement of the thermal stability of LMW PDMS composites, especially for higher GN concentrations (3 and 5 phr), was noticed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Additionally, GN enhanced the tensile strength of composites, up to 73% for the 3 phr GN/LMW PDMS composite. A significant increase in the elongation at break was recorded, whereas no effect on the modulus of elasticity was recorded. The decrease in toluene-swelling, for the LMW PDMS matrix composites, was attributed to the increase in the tortuosity path because of the efficient dispersion of GN. A decrease in oxygen permeability of 55–65% and 44–58% was measured in membranes made of PDMS composites containing 0.5 phr and 1 phr GN, respectively. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) measurements recorded a significant increase in the conductivity of the higher graphene content composites.


Author(s):  
Rafael Vargas-Bernal ◽  
Gabriel Herrera-Pérez ◽  
Margarita Tecpoyotl-Torres

Since its discovery in 1991 and 2004, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by Sumio Iijima, and graphene by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov in 2004, these materials have been extensively studied around the world. Both materials have electronic, thermal, magnetic, optical, chemical, and mechanical extraordinary properties. International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) has predicted that these nanomaterials are potential replacements of the conventional materials used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. Two of the technological aspects that both materials share and have reduced their extensive use are processing and dispersion required to homogenize the electrical properties of the materials based on them. Fortunately, these problems are being solved thanks to the ongoing investigation, and in a short time the materials used in today's electronics industry will be replaced by devices based on these novel materials. The impact of the applications of both materials in the electronics industry, as well as future trends in the following decades are discussed in this paper.


1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1017-1018
Author(s):  
L. E. Thomas ◽  
R. C. Hugo ◽  
J. T. Stanley

Electron diffraction patterns taken in transmission electron microscopes are widely used for phase identification and orientation determination of crystallites as small as hundreds or even tens of nanometers in size. The analyses typically require rather tedious measurement of the patterns, and matching of calculated d-spacings and angles with those of known phases. Recently, the analysis of these patterns has been facilitated by powerful desktop computer programs that use digitally captured images for on-line measurement and simulation matching of" the diffraction spot and Kikuchi line patterns. This presentation will illustrate an application of computer-aided pattern simulation and matching for precise determination of crystal orientations.Two experimental TV camera arrangements were used to record diffraction patterns in a TEM. These included a cooled-CCD camera located on the electron optical axis below the microscope viewing chamber, and a simple TV-rate CCD that recorded directly from the inclined fluorescent viewing screen of the microscope.


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (20) ◽  
pp. 5797
Author(s):  
Igor Buzalewicz ◽  
Agnieszka Suchwałko ◽  
Magdalena Karwańska ◽  
Alina Wieliczko ◽  
Halina Podbielska

Recently proposed methods of bacteria identification in optical biosensors based on the phenomenon of light diffraction on macro-colonies offer over 98% classification accuracy. However, such high accuracy relies on the comparable and repeatable spatial intensity distribution of diffraction patterns. Therefore, it is essential to eliminate all non-species/strain-dependent factors affecting the diffraction patterns. In this study, the impact of the bacterial colony and illuminating beam misalignment on the variation of classification features extracted from diffraction patterns was examined. It was demonstrated that misalignment introduced by the scanning module significantly affected diffraction patterns and extracted classification features used for bacteria identification. Therefore, it is a crucial system-dependent factor limiting the identification accuracy. The acceptable misalignment level, when the accuracy and quality of the classification features are not affected, was determined as no greater than 50 µm. Obtained results led to development of image-processing algorithms for determination of the direction of misalignment and concurrent alignment of the bacterial colonies’ diffraction patterns. The proposed algorithms enable the rigorous monitoring and controlling of the measurement’s conditions in order to preserve the high accuracy of bacteria identification.


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