Highly Automated Transmission Electron Microscopy Tomography for Defect Understanding

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
James J. Demarest ◽  
Hong-Ying Zhai
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Significant Advance ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Dual Beam ◽  
Resource Needs ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Time Required ◽  
High Level

Abstract Imaging tomography by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a technique which has been growing in popularity in recent years, yet it has not been widely applied to semiconductor defect studies and root cause determination [1- 3]. In part this is due to the complex equipment, computing needs, and microscope time required to generate the various images which ultimately compose the data set. However, the latest generation of TEMs—with their high level of stability and automation—are greatly reducing the resource needs to create high quality and informative movies of defects rotating about a central axis. One significant advance is the reduction in time required to fabricate a sample and perform the data acquisition by TEM. Today’s microscopes allow for sample fabrication to take place in a few hours or less and can acquire more than 100 images in about an hour at different sample tilt conditions with minimal analyst intervention. This paper describes using automated TEM sample preparation with dual beam focused ion beams (previously reported [4]) in conjunction with automated tomography software on a state-of-the-art TEM. By using an advanced tomography holder ±70° of tilt can be obtained. This is a powerful way to view defects as the failure can be viewed through more than 90° of rotation. Consequently a more complete understanding of the failure site can be obtained over a typical single projection TEM image. This can greatly facilitate root cause determination in a timely manner.

Characterization of cellular development and fatty acid accumulation in thraustochytrid Aurantiochytrium strains of Taiwan

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natarajan Velmurugan ◽  
Yesupatham Sathishkumar ◽  
Shashanka Sonowal ◽  
Ka-Lai Pang ◽  
Yang Soo Lee
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Cell Growth ◽  
Intracellular Lipid ◽  
Fatty Acid Accumulation ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Intracellular Lipid Accumulation ◽  
High Level

Abstract Long-chain saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids of two new thraustochytrid isolates cultured from Taiwan mangroves, Aurantiochytrium sp. IMB169 and Aurantiochytrium sp. IMB171, were characterized through their cell growth and development in relation to their intracellular lipid accumulation using transmission electron microscopy. Flow cytometry in combination with the lipophilic fluorescent dye BODIPY 505/515 was used to stain and characterize intracellular lipid bodies in the two isolates. The transmission electron microscopy and flow cytometry analyses revealed a progressive accumulation of lipid products in IMB169 and IMB171. Further, selective BODIPY stained cells were successfully separated and enriched using flow cytometry at single cell level. Among the two isolates, IMB169 was found to produce a high level of docosahexaenoic acid. The qualitative and analytical results obtained using electron microscopy and flow cytometry studies were validated by gas chromatography (GC). In addition, a quantitative baseline was established using cell growth, flow cytometry and GC analyses for developing an efficient bioprocessing methodology to selectively enrich thraustochytrids phenotypes with desirable characteristics.

scholarly journals Analysis of the PilQ Secretin from Neisseria meningitidis by Transmission Electron Microscopy Reveals a Dodecameric Quaternary Structure

2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (13) ◽  
pp. 3825-3832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard F. Collins ◽  
Linn Davidsen ◽  
Jeremy P. Derrick ◽  
Robert C. Ford ◽  
Tone Tønjum
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Neisseria Meningitidis ◽  
Quaternary Structure ◽  
Rotational Symmetry ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Total Data

ABSTRACT PilQ is a member of the secretin family of outer membrane proteins and is specifically involved in secretion of type IV pili inNeisseria meningitidis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, andPseudomonas aeruginosa. The quaternary structure of PilQ from N. meningitidis was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy by using a negative stain. Single particle averaging was carried out with a total data set of 650 individual particles, which produced a projection map generated from 296 particles at an estimated resolution of 2.6 nm. Oligomeric PilQ adopts a donut-like structure with an external ring that is 16.5 nm in diameter surrounding a central cavity that is 6.5 nm in diameter. Self-rotation and power spectrum analysis demonstrated the presence of 12-fold rotational symmetry, showing that PilQ is organized as a ring of 12 identical subunits. A model of the type IV meningococcal pilus fiber, based on the X-ray crystal structure of the N. gonorrhoeae pilin subunit, fitted neatly into the cavity, demonstrating how PilQ could serve as a channel for the growing pilus fiber.

Structure and Strength of Rapidly Quenched Cu-Al2O3 Composites

1998 ◽  
Vol 555 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. I. Il'Insky ◽  
A. S. Terletsky ◽  
E. W. Zozulya
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Strain Hardening ◽  
Vapor Condensation ◽  
High Temperature Annealing ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
High Level

AbstractMicrostructure of dispersion hardened composites (DC) Cu-Al2O3 prepared by simultaneous vacuum vapor condensation of Cu and A12O3 was studied by X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy methods. After high temperature annealing at 900°C for 2 hours the composites retain the submicrocrystalline structure and high level of strength -0.9 GPa. It has been found that strain hardening of vacuum deposited Cu-A12O3 composites takes place in three stages that is not typical for well-known composites of metallurgical origin.

A Method for Directly Correlating Site-Specific Cross-Sectional and Plan-View Transmission Electron Microscopy of Individual Nanostructures

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 1410-1418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel K. Schreiber ◽  
Praneet Adusumilli ◽  
Eric R. Hemesath ◽  
David N. Seidman ◽  
Amanda K. Petford-Long ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Region Of Interest ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
3D Analysis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Plan View ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Dual Beam ◽  
Transmission Electron

AbstractA sample preparation method is described for enabling direct correlation of site-specific plan-view and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of individual nanostructures by employing a dual-beam focused-ion beam (FIB) microscope. This technique is demonstrated using Si nanowires dispersed on a TEM sample support (lacey carbon or Si-nitride). Individual nanowires are first imaged in the plan-view orientation to identify a region of interest; in this case, impurity atoms distributed at crystalline defects that require further investigation in the cross-sectional orientation. Subsequently, the region of interest is capped with a series of ex situ and in situ deposited layers to protect the nanowire and facilitate site-specific lift-out and cross-sectioning using a dual-beam FIB microscope. The lift-out specimen is thinned to electron transparency with site-specific positioning to within ∼200 nm of a target position along the length of the nanowire. Using the described technique, it is possible to produce correlated plan-view and cross-sectional view lattice-resolved TEM images that enable a quasi-3D analysis of crystalline defect structures in a specific nanowire. While the current study is focused on nanowires, the procedure described herein is general for any electron-transparent sample and is broadly applicable for many nanostructures, such as nanowires, nanoparticles, patterned thin films, and devices.

Preparation of Electropolished Transverse Sections of Thin Aluminum Sheet for Transmission Electron Microscopy

1987 ◽  
Vol 115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Smith
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transverse Section ◽  
Aluminum Sheet ◽  
Specimen Preparation ◽  
Ion Milling ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Thin Aluminum ◽  
Time Required

ABSTRACTThe preparation of transverse section TEM foils from thin (0.2 mm to 1.5 mm) aluminum sheet would usually be accomplished by a combination of dimpling and ion milling. Both of these techniques are time consuming. A technique has been developed which allows these transverse section foils to be prepared by electropolishing, which greatly reduces the time required for specimen preparation. This technique also produces far more thin area for examination than a comparable foil which has been dimpled and ion milled, and eliminates artifacts produced by ion milling.

Investigation of Passivation Damage from the Backside

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Subramanian ◽  
Ed Widener ◽  
Tony Chrastecky ◽  
Darryl Jones ◽  
Bill W. Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Failure Mode ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Packaging Process ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Defect Location ◽  
Optical Inspection ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Section Sample

Abstract Passivation damage, a common failure mode in microelectronics circuitry, can be easily identified by optical inspection in the form of a local 'discoloration' after exposing the die to a chemical that would penetrate through the crack and attacks metal lines. Unfortunately, this process destroys evidence of what damaged the passivation, since it attacks the damaged region. As a result, in many cases, the mechanism by which the passivation damage occurred is unclear. This problem is addressed in this paper by a procedure to examine passivation damage by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of a cross-section sample prepared from the backside and without exposing the die from the top side. The backside approach was successfully used to assign the root cause of the passivation damage to packaging process. A topside approach to characterize the passivation damaged region can result in destruction of evidence at the defect location.

Visualisation of Electrically Active Areas Using Electron Holography

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Muehle ◽  
A. Lenk ◽  
M. Lehmann ◽  
H. Lichte
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Sample Preparation ◽  
Electron Holography ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Structural Details ◽  
Different Types ◽  
High Level ◽  
Technical Solutions

Abstract In accordance with the predictions of the International Semiconductor Association, a further decrease in the structural widths of semiconductor devices is expected. For an in-depth characterization of actual structural details, the transmission electron microscopy (TEM)-technique is becoming more and more significant. An urgent requirement is in the visualization of dimensions of the doped regions and estimation of p-n-junctions profile with a high level spatial resolution. The off-axis electron holography, a special TEM-technique, is able to visualize electrically active areas in semiconductors. This article describes a way to achieve sample preparation for TEM-holography from actual memory products and also provides an idea of the potential of this technique for semiconductor failure analysis. It shows that different types and sizes of FET's and testing structures could be visualized by focusing on the physical basics, technical solutions, and sample preparation.

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