A Novel Method for the Specified Site Planar View TEM Sample Preparation

Author(s):  
Shuqing Duan ◽  
Yanli Zhao ◽  
Ming Li

Abstract This paper reports a novel method for site specific plan view transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation. The detailed procedure is introduced step by step. To demonstrate the practicality of this technique in failure analysis, case studies on 45nm and below technology nodes using the novel method are reported. The results showed that the method is very useful for the analysis of the specified failure location and is helpful to improve the success rate of failure analysis.

Author(s):  
Daminda H. Dahanayaka ◽  
Daniel A. Bader ◽  
Dennis P. Prevost ◽  
Michael T. Coster ◽  
Erik F. Mccullen ◽  
...  

Abstract Physical failure analysis of nanoelectronic devices is typically performed using plan view or cross-sectional TEM, SEM or SPM techniques. While plan view SPM and SEM analyses are limited by the depth sensitivity of the technique, cross-sectional analysis requires at least approximate localization of the fail location within the device for effective sample preparation. Multi-finger wide 2D planar devices and multi-FIN 3D devices are structures which require an additional step in pinpointing the fail area within the device. This paper describes successful use of EBIC/EBAC techniques to localize the fail location within such devices in both the 22 nm and 14 nm technology nodes.


2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 558-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herman Carlo Floresca ◽  
Jangbae Jeon ◽  
Jinguo G. Wang ◽  
Moon J. Kim

AbstractWe have developed the focused ion beam (FIB) fold-out technique, for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation in which there is no fine polishing or dimpling, thus saving turnaround time. It does not require a nanomanipulator yet is still site specific. The sample wafer is cut to shape, polished down, and then placed in a FIB system. A tab containing the area of interest is created by ion milling and then “folded out” from the bulk sample. This method also allows a plan-view of the sample by removing material below the wafer's surface film or device near the polished edge. In the final step, the sample is thinned to electron transparency, ready to be analyzed in the TEM. With both a cross section and plan-view, our technique gives microscopists a powerful tool in analyzing multiple zone axes in one TEM session. The nature of the polished sample edge also includes the ability to sample many areas, allowing the user to examine a very large device or sample. More importantly, this technique could make multiple site-specific e-beam transparent specimens in one polished sample, which is difficult to do when prepared by other methods.


Author(s):  
Jian-Shing Luo ◽  
Hsiu Ting Lee

Abstract Several methods are used to invert samples 180 deg in a dual beam focused ion beam (FIB) system for backside milling by a specific in-situ lift out system or stages. However, most of those methods occupied too much time on FIB systems or requires a specific in-situ lift out system. This paper provides a novel transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation method to eliminate the curtain effect completely by a combination of backside milling and sample dicing with low cost and less FIB time. The procedures of the TEM pre-thinned sample preparation method using a combination of sample dicing and backside milling are described step by step. From the analysis results, the method has applied successfully to eliminate the curtain effect of dual beam FIB TEM samples for both random and site specific addresses.


Author(s):  
Roger Alvis ◽  
Jeff Blackwood ◽  
Sang-Hoon Lee ◽  
Matthew Bray

Abstract Semiconductor devices with critical dimensions less than 20nm are now being manufactured in volume. A challenge facing the failure analysis and process-monitoring community is two-fold. The first challenge of TEM sample prep of such small devices is that the basic need to end-point on a feature-of-interest pushes the imaging limit of the instrument being used to prepare the lamella. The second challenge posed by advanced devices is to prepare an artifact-free lamella from non-planar devices such as finFETs as well as from structures incorporating ‘non-traditional’ materials. These challenges are presently overcome in many advanced logic and memory devices in the focused ion beam-based TEM sample preparation processes by inverting the specimen prior to thinning to electron transparency. This paper reports a highthroughput method for the routine preparation of artifact-free TEM lamella of 20nm thickness, or less.


Author(s):  
Hyoung H. Kang ◽  
Michael A. Gribelyuk ◽  
Oliver D. Patterson ◽  
Steven B. Herschbein ◽  
Corey Senowitz

Abstract Cross-sectional style transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation techniques by DualBeam (SEM/FIB) systems are widely used in both laboratory and manufacturing lines with either in-situ or ex-situ lift out methods. By contrast, however, the plan view TEM sample has only been prepared in the laboratory environment, and only after breaking the wafer. This paper introduces a novel methodology for in-line, plan view TEM sample preparation at the 300mm wafer level that does not require breaking the wafer. It also presents the benefit of the technique on electrically short defects. The methodology of thin lamella TEM sample preparation for plan view work in two different tool configurations is also presented. The detailed procedure of thin lamella sample preparation is also described. In-line, full wafer plan view (S)TEM provides a quick turn around solution for defect analysis in the manufacturing line.


1992 ◽  
Vol 281 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Shih ◽  
K. H. Jung ◽  
D. L. Kwong

ABSTRACTWe have developed a new, minimal damage approach for examination of luminescent porous Si layers (PSLs) by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In this approach, chemically etched PSLs are fabricated after conventional plan-view TEM sample preparation. A diffraction pattern consisting of a diffuse center spot, characteristic of amorphous material, is primarily observed. However, crystalline, microcrystalline, and amorphous regions could all be observed in selected areas. A crystalline mesh structure could be observed in some of the thin areas near the pinhole. The microcrystallite sizes were 15–150 Å and decreased in size when located further from the pinhole.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 824-825
Author(s):  
Chen Li ◽  
Gerlinde Habler ◽  
Lisa C. Baldwin ◽  
Rainer Abart

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 1410-1418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel K. Schreiber ◽  
Praneet Adusumilli ◽  
Eric R. Hemesath ◽  
David N. Seidman ◽  
Amanda K. Petford-Long ◽  
...  

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.


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