Method of Failure Site Isolation for Flash Memory Device Using FIB, Passive Voltage Contrast Techniques

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caiwen Yuan ◽  
Susan Li ◽  
Andy Gray
Keyword(s):  
Flash Memory ◽  
Memory Device ◽  
Fault Isolation ◽  
Feature Size ◽  
Site Isolation ◽  
Physical Evidence ◽  
Small Feature ◽  
Voltage Contrast ◽  
Metal Layers ◽  
Failure Site

Abstract Current VLSI devices have very complicated circuit designs and very small feature size. As a result, fault isolation on failing devices becomes a more and more challenging task. Although backside photoemission technique is commonly used to detect the failure site covered with multiple metal layers, it has the disadvantages of more time consumption and less success rate. Without a localized failure site, it will be very difficult, sometime even impossible, to find the physical evidence for the failures. This article describes a method that has been successfully used for isolating the wordline leakage on a memory FLASH device using FIB cutting and passive voltage contrast on the leaky wordline. The concept of this article is not just limited to this application; rather it can be used for all similar types of fault isolation work for other applications.

Defect Isolation and Characterization in Contacts by Using Primary Voltage Adjustment

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan-Shih Chen ◽  
Jeng-Han Lee
Keyword(s):  
Cmos Technology ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Site Isolation ◽  
Popular Method ◽  
Isolation And Characterization ◽  
Contrast Condition ◽  
Contrast Technique ◽  
Defect Isolation ◽  
Voltage Contrast ◽  
Failure Site

Abstract Voltage contrast(VC) is a popular method for failure site isolation[1]. After study we find some weakness on tradition voltage contrast. This paper presents a new voltage contrast procedure that can conquer the weakness. For a CMOS technology, there are four kinds of contact node were used. They are N+/PW node, P+/NW node , poly gate node and well node. Traditional voltage contrast condition uses constant SEM primary energy like 1KV can not distinguish these four kinds of node well. For example a contact lead to P+/NW will be bright in tradition VC[2], but a contact connected to well will also be bright. It means tradition VC can not distinguish difference between contact lead to P+/NW and contact lead to well. To improve the weakness of the traditional VC, we will present a new Voltage Contrast technique, which could distinguish all contact types in CMOS technology.

scholarly journals FA Approach on MIM (Metal-Insulator-Metal) Capacitor Failures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuang Shien Lee ◽  
Lai Khei Kuan
Keyword(s):  
Computer Aided Design ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Fault Isolation ◽  
Metal Insulator ◽  
Isolation Techniques ◽  
Metal Insulator Metal ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Voltage Contrast ◽  
Metal Layers

Abstract MIM (Metal-Insulator-Metal) capacitor is a capacitor fabricated between metal layers and usually in an array form. Since it is usually buried within stack of back-end metal layers, neither front side nor backside FA fault isolation techniques can easily pinpoint the defect location of a failing MIM capacitor. A preliminary fault isolation (FI) often needs to be performed by biasing the desired failing state setup to highlight the difference(s) of FI site(s) between failing unit & reference. Then, a detailed study of the CAD (Computer Aided Design) schematic and die layout focusing on the difference(s) of FI site(s) will lead to a more in-depth analyses such as Focused Ion-Beam (FIB) circuit edit, micro-probing/nano-probing, Voltage Contrast (VC) and other available FA techniques to further identify the defective MIM capacitor. Once the defective MIM capacitor was identified, FIB cross-section or delayering can be performed to inspect the physical defect on the MIM capacitor. This paper presents the FA approach and challenges in successfully finding MIM capacitor failures.

Fault Isolation of MOL and FEOL Buried Defects Using Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy as a Complement to Passive Voltage Contrast Imaging

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucile C. Teague Sheridan ◽  
Linda Conohan ◽  
Chong Khiam Oh
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Cmos Technology ◽  
Fault Isolation ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Isolation Technique ◽  
Conductive Afm ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Voltage Contrast

Abstract Atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods have provided a wealth of knowledge into the topographic, electrical, mechanical, magnetic, and electrochemical properties of surfaces and materials at the micro- and nanoscale over the last several decades. More specifically, the application of conductive AFM (CAFM) techniques for failure analysis can provide a simultaneous view of the conductivity and topographic properties of the patterned features. As CMOS technology progresses to smaller and smaller devices, the benefits of CAFM techniques have become apparent [1-3]. Herein, we review several cases in which CAFM has been utilized as a fault-isolation technique to detect middle of line (MOL) and front end of line (FEOL) buried defects in 20nm technologies and beyond.

Application of Scan Based FA and Advanced Passive Voltage Contrast Technique in Defect Isolation

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B. Schmidt ◽  
Noor Jehan Saujauddin
Keyword(s):  
Failure Analysis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fault Isolation ◽  
Electronic Information ◽  
Scan Testing ◽  
Challenging Environment ◽  
Contrast Technique ◽  
Defect Isolation ◽  
Voltage Contrast ◽  
Higher Sensitivity

Abstract Scan testing and passive voltage contrast (PVC) techniques have been widely used as failure analysis fault isolation tools. Scan diagnosis can narrow a failure to a given net and passive voltage contrast can give real-time, large-scale electronic information about a sample at various stages of deprocessing. In the highly competitive and challenging environment of today, failure analysis cycle time is very important. By combining scan FA with a much higher sensitivity passive voltage contrast technique, one can quickly find defects that have traditionally posed a great challenge.

Utilizing Nanoprobing and Circuit Diagnostics to Identify Key Failure Mechanism of Otherwise Nonvisible Defects in 20 nm Logic Devices

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.K. Dawood ◽  
C. Chen ◽  
P.K. Tan ◽  
S. James ◽  
P.S. Limin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Failure Analysis ◽  
Contact Layer ◽  
Fault Isolation ◽  
Tem Analysis ◽  
Logic Devices ◽  
Technology Advancement ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Voltage Contrast ◽  
Almost All ◽  
20 Nm

Abstract In this work, we present two case studies on the utilization of advanced nanoprobing on 20nm logic devices at contact layer to identify the root cause of scan logic failures. In both cases, conventional failure analysis followed by inspection of passive voltage contrast (PVC) failed to identify any abnormality in the devices. Technology advancement makes identifying failure mechanisms increasingly more challenging using conventional methods of physical failure analysis (PFA). Almost all PFA cases for 20nm technology node devices and beyond require Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis. Before TEM analysis can be performed, fault isolation is required to correctly determine the precise failing location. Isolated transistor probing was performed on the suspected logic NMOS and PMOS transistors to identify the failing transistors for TEM analysis. In this paper, nanoprobing was used to isolate the failing transistor of a logic cell. Nanoprobing revealed anomalies between the drain and bulk junction which was found to be due to contact gouging of different severities.

Carrier Profiling of the 10-nm-order Structure in a 3D Flash Memory Cell Using Scanning Nonlinear Dielectric Microscopy

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Hirota ◽  
Ken Hoshino ◽  
Tsukasa Nakai ◽  
Kohei Yamasue ◽  
Yasuo Cho
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Flash Memory ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Memory Cell ◽  
Memory Device ◽  
Floating Gate ◽  
Order Structure ◽  
Carrier Distribution ◽  
Nonlinear Dielectric ◽  
Flash Memory Cell

Abstract In this paper, the authors report their successful attempt to acquire the scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy (SNDM) signals around the floating gate and channel structures of the 3D Flash memory device, utilizing the custom-built SNDM tool with a super-sharp diamond tip. The report includes details of the SNDM measurement and process involved in sample preparation. With the super-sharp diamond tips with radius of less than 5 nm to achieve the supreme spatial resolution, the authors successfully obtained the SNDM signals of floating gate in high contrast to the background in the selected areas. They deduced the minimum spatial resolution and seized a clear evidence that the diffusion length differences of the n-type impurity among the channels are less than 21 nm. Thus, they concluded that SNDM is one of the most powerful analytical techniques to evaluate the carrier distribution in the superfine three dimensionally structured memory devices.

A Sample Preparation on Decapsulation Methodology for Effective Failure Analysis on Thin Small Leadless (TSLP) Flip Chip Package with Copper Pillar (CuP) Bump Interconnect Technology

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwee Hoon Yen ◽  
Ng Kiong Kay
Keyword(s):  
Sample Preparation ◽  
Failure Analysis ◽  
Flip Chip ◽  
Fault Localization ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Fault Isolation ◽  
Voltage Contrast ◽  
Interconnect Technology

Abstract Today, failure analysis involving flip chip [1] with copper pillar bump packaging technologies would be the major challenges faced by analysts. Most often, handling on the chips after destructive chemical decapsulation is extremely critical as there are several failure analysis steps to be continued such as chip level fault localization, chip micro probing for fault isolation, parallel lapping [2, 3, 4] and passive voltage contrast. Therefore, quality of sample preparation is critical. This paper discussed and demonstrated a quick, reliable and cost effective methodology to decapsulate the thin small leadless (TSLP) flip chip package with copper pillar (CuP) bump interconnect technology.

Effectiveness of Nanoprober in Detecting Single/Multiple Bit Flash Data Gain & Data Loss Failures

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Medikonduri
Keyword(s):  
Flash Memory ◽  
Data Loss ◽  
Voltage Contrast

Abstract This paper discusses the physics, definitions, and nanoprobing flow of a flash bit memory. In addition, a case study showing the effectiveness of nanoprobing in detecting the Single Bit Fail Data Gain and Data Loss in Flash Memory is also discussed. The paper also includes cases where no passive voltage contrast was observed at the SEM and no leakage was observed at AFM, yet the units failing SBF DG, SBF DL and depletion, were detected by nanoprobing of the single bit. The major finding of this paper is a way to resolve data gain, data loss, and depletion failures of flash memory by nanoprobing procedure, despite no PVC seen at the SEM and no leakage seen at the AFM.

Enhanced Programming and Erasing Speeds in P-Channel Charge-Trapping Flash Memory Device With SiGe Buried Channel

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 1264-1266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Jung Liu ◽  
Kuei-Shu Chang-Liao ◽  
Yi-Chuen Jian ◽  
Jen-Wei Cheng ◽  
Tien-Ko Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flash Memory ◽  
Charge Trapping ◽  
Memory Device ◽  
Buried Channel

Study for aluminum metal patterning process with oxide hard mask in 90-nm s-flash memory device fabrication

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Il Hwang ◽  
Ki Jun Yun ◽  
Sang Wook Ryu ◽  
Kang Hyun Lee ◽  
Jae Won Han
Keyword(s):  
Flash Memory ◽  
Memory Device ◽  
Device Fabrication ◽  
Hard Mask ◽  
Aluminum Metal
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document