PrimeNano (united States)

Abstract This column is part of a series of reports on the findings to date of the EDFAS Failure Analysis Roadmap Councils. The Failure Analysis Future Roadmap Council (FAFRC) is concerned with identifying the longer term needs of the FA community. This article discusses analysis challenges associated with the growing number of elements being incorporated into integrated circuit fabrication. It includes tables summarizing top challenges in front end and package analysis.

Abstract Failure analysis has become a critical enabler of semiconductor technology innovations. Logic and memory scaling continues at an unabated pace with new materials and transistor architectures being introduced. The integration of advanced packaging technologies like chiplets, 2.5D, and 3D in mainstream devices is exploding. To address these challenges, a new industry-wide FA Technology Roadmap was created and approved by the EDFAS Board in 2020. This column discusses the planned next steps in the Roadmap project.

Scanning Microwave Impedance Microscopy (sMIM) is a sensitive electrical measurement technique which can characterize local static and temporal variations of electrical permittivity, and conductivity of materials and devices as well as for failure analysis. It is being used to characterize dielectrics, semiconductors and their doping response, and metals. Measurements can be made at room temperature down to cryogenic temperatures where quantum effects become important. Leveraging near-field electrical interactions between a probe and the sample, sMIM can measure and image electrical properties and operation at the nanoscale to micron scale by incorporation into an atomic force microscope. sMIM is being applied to a wide range of industrial and scientific applications to improve fundamental and functional understanding and operational performance of advanced, exploratory and quantum electronic devices and materials and their fabrication.

Abstract Scanning microwave impedance microscopy (sMIM) is a relatively new method for making electrical measurements on test samples in AFMs. This article presents examples in which sMIM technology is used to measure dielectric coefficients, doping concentrations, and nanoscale C-V curves for different semiconductor and dielectric materials. It also explains how measured results compare with theoretical models, confirming the validity of each approach.

Abstract Scanning microwave impedance microscopy (sMIM) is an emerging technique that can provide detailed information beyond that of conventional scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM), and other electrical scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques, for the investigation and failure analysis (FA) of semiconductor devices. Integration of new dielectric materials at lower levels of the device structure with the need for quantification of dielectric and dopants in semiconductor devices with sub-micron spatial resolution pushes the practical boundaries of typical atomic force microscopy (AFM) electrical modes. sMIM can measure both linear and non-linear materials (insulators and doped semiconductors, respectively) simultaneously. sMIM has a linear response to log k (dielectric number) and log N (doping concentration) making it an ideal method for providing quantitative measurements of semiconductor devices over a large range of values. This work demonstrates an example of a practical application of sMIM for quantitative measurement of the dopant concentration profile in production semiconductor devices. A planar dopant calibration sample is used to calibrate the sMIM prior to performing the measurements on an “unknown” production device. We utilize nanoscale C-V data to establish a calibration curve for both n- and p-type carriers and apply the calibration curve to an “unknown” device, presenting the measurements in units of doping concentration.

Scanning microwave impedance microscopy (sMIM) is an emerging electrical mode for scanning probe microscopy (SPM). We apply the technique to the profiling of dopants in semiconductor samples with sub-micron spatial resolution. This work demonstrates the practical application of sMIM for quantitative measurement of the dopant concentration profile in production semiconductor devices. A planar dopant calibration sample is used to calibrate the sMIM prior to performing the measurements on an “unknown” production device. We utilize nanoscale C-V curves to establish a calibration curve for both n- and p-type carriers in a single reference and apply the calibration curve to an “unknown” device presenting the measurements in units of doping concentration.

Abstract Scanning microwave impedance microscopy was used to analyze a CMOS image sensor sample to reveal details of the dopant profiling in planar and cross-sectional samples. Sitespecific capacitance-voltage spectroscopy was performed on different regions of the samples.

Scanning Microwave Impedance Microscopy (sMIM), a new electrical measurement mode for AFM, has shown significant success in the imaging and characterization of electrical properties at 10's of nm length scales. We review the state of the art, including imaging studies revealing electrical characteristics of novel materials and nanostructures, such as composites, graphene, patterned optical crystals and ferro-electrics. The technique is suited for a variety of metrology applications where specific physical properties are determined quantitatively. Examples include the measurement of dielectric constant (permittivity) and conductivity. These capabilities will be presented, illustrating sensitivity and resolution for dielectric constant, doping levels and capacitance.