Local Current Leakage Characterization in La2O3-Al2O3 Composite Films by Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy

AbstractThe current conduction in GaN is very topical and is the topic of a vast amount of research. By simultaneously mapping the topography and the current distribution, conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) has the potential to establish a correlation between topological features and localized current paths. In this study, this technique was applied to image the conduction properties of as-grown and post-growth chemically etched samples GaN epitaxial layers on a microscopic scale. Our results show that prismatic planes have a significantly higher conductivity than the surrounding areas of the sample surface. A large and stable local current was mainly observed from the walls of the etched pits, under forward and reverse bias of the metallized AFM tip/semiconductor junction.

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Towards a unified description of the charge transport mechanisms in conductive atomic force microscopy studies of semiconducting polymers

Nanoscale ◽

10.1039/c4nr02577f ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (18) ◽

pp. 10596-10603 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

D. Moerman ◽

N. Sebaihi ◽

S. E. Kaviyil ◽

P. Leclère ◽

R. Lazzaroni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atomic Force Microscopy ◽

Electrical Properties ◽

Carrier Mobility ◽

Semiconducting Polymers ◽

Transport Mechanisms ◽

Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy ◽

Force Microscopy ◽

Atomic Force ◽

Local Current ◽

Unified Description

The nanoscale electrical properties of fibrillate poly-3-hexylthiophene are studied using conducting-AFM. The conditions for the prevalence of either local or bulk resistances dominated regime are identified. As local current is space charge limited, an analytical model is derived to determine locally carrier mobility and density.

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Study on initial current leakage spots in CoFeB-capped MgO tunnel barrier by conductive atomic force microscopy

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics ◽

10.7567/jjap.55.04ee05 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 55 (4S) ◽

pp. 04EE05 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Soshi Sato ◽

Hiroaki Honjo ◽

Shoji Ikeda ◽

Hideo Ohno ◽

Tetsuo Endoh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atomic Force Microscopy ◽

Tunnel Barrier ◽

Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy ◽

Initial Current ◽

Current Leakage ◽

Force Microscopy ◽

Atomic Force

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Local current–voltage behaviors of preferentially and randomly textured Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films investigated by conductive atomic force microscopy

Applied Physics A ◽

10.1007/s00339-011-6408-y ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 104 (4) ◽

pp. 1189-1194 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

R. H. Shin ◽

W. Jo ◽

D.-W. Kim ◽

Jae Ho Yun ◽

S. Ahn

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Atomic Force Microscopy ◽

Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy ◽

Force Microscopy ◽

Atomic Force ◽

Current Voltage ◽

Local Current

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Hot Electron Transistors Based on Graphene/AlGaN/GaN Vertical Heterostructures

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.858.1137 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 858 ◽

pp. 1137-1140 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Gabriele Fisichella ◽

Giuseppe Greco ◽

Salvatore di Franco ◽

Raffaella Lo Nigro ◽

Emanuela Schilirò ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atomic Force Microscopy ◽

Schottky Contact ◽

Hot Electron ◽

Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy ◽

Force Microscopy ◽

Atomic Force ◽

Current Voltage ◽

Local Current ◽

High Frequency Device ◽

Electron Transistors

This paper presents a study of the vertical current transport in a graphene (Gr) heterostructure with AlxGa1-xN/GaN, which represent the main building block of a novel high frequency device, the hot electron transistor (HET) with Gr base. The morphological and electrical properties of this heterostructures have been investigated at nanoscale by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM). In particular, local current-voltage measurements by the CAFM probe revealed the formation of a Schottky contact with low barrier height (∼0.41 eV) and excellent lateral uniformity between Gr and AlGaN. Basing on the electrical parameters extracted from this characterization, the theoretical performances of a HET formed by a metal/Al2O3/Gr/AlGaN/GaN stack have been evaluated.

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

ISTFA 2017: Conference Proceedings from the 43rd International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis ◽

10.31399/asm.cp.istfa2017p0606 ◽

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.

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Fault Localization in Contact Level by Using Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy

ISTFA 2003: Conference Proceedings from the 29th International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis ◽

10.31399/asm.cp.istfa2003p0413 ◽

2003 ◽

Author(s):

Jon C. Lee ◽

J. H. Chuang

Keyword(s):

Atomic Force Microscopy ◽

Integrated Circuits ◽

Fault Localization ◽

Electrical Characterization ◽

Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy ◽

Force Microscopy ◽

Atomic Force ◽

Optical Electron ◽

Defect Isolation ◽

Voltage Contrast

Abstract As integrated circuits (IC) have become more complicated with device features shrinking into the deep sub-micron range, so the challenge of defect isolation has become more difficult. Many failure analysis (FA) techniques using optical/electron beam and scanning probe microscopy (SPM) have been developed to improve the capability of defect isolation. SPM provides topographic imaging coupled with a variety of material characterization information such as thermal, magnetic, electric, capacitance, resistance and current with nano-meter scale resolution. Conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) has been widely used for electrical characterization of dielectric film and gate oxide integrity (GOI). In this work, C-AFM has been successfully employed to isolate defects in the contact level and to discriminate various contact types. The current mapping of C-AFM has the potential to identify micro-leaky contacts better than voltage contrast (VC) imaging in SEM. It also provides I/V information that is helpful to diagnose the failure mechanism by comparing I/V curves of different contact types. C-AFM is able to localize faulty contacts with pico-amp current range and to characterize failure with nano-meter scale lateral resolution. C-AFM should become an important technique for IC fault localization. FA examples of this technique will be discussed in the article.

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