Scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy (SNDM) is a scanning probe technique that measures changes in oscillation frequency between the probe tip and a voltage-biased sample. As the probe moves across the surface of a semiconductor device, the oscillation frequency changes in response to variations in dielectric properties, charge and carrier density, dopant concentration, interface states, or any number of other variables that affect local capacitance. Over the past few years, researchers at Tohoku University have made several improvements in dielectric microscopy, the latest of which is a digital version called time-resolved SNDM (tr-SNDM). Here they describe their new technique and present an application in which it is used to acquire CV, d C /d V-V , and DLTS data from SiO 2 /SiC interface samples.

Differential Hall effect metrology (DHEM) provides depth profiles of all critical electrical parameters through semiconductor layers at nanometer-level depth resolution. This article describes the relatively new method and shows how it is used to measure mobility and carrier concentration profiles in different materials and structures.

This article presents a nanoprobing method that uses high-speed pulses to characterize in-die SRAM bit cells. The authors describe the basic setup of the test system and demonstrate its use on a six-transistor bit cell failure. The method reduces fault localization time and decreases the possibility of deprocessing past the fail because testing is done at metallization layer 1. The bit’s reaction is captured in the form of analog current measurements, resulting in a unique signature of the failure.

A large dc motor in a servo positioning system began behaving erratically whenever the rotor was in certain positions. This article describes the examinations and tests that were conducted to determine the root cause of failure, which turned out to be a shorted motor winding stemming form damage most likely caused by the tool used to pack the conductors into the core slot.

In most cases, microelectronic failure analysis is rooted in the observation of voltage, either as logic levels or as time-based waveforms. This is due largely to the ease of making such measurements. As a result, current measurement is often overlooked. This article discusses aspects of current measurement that can be used during fault localization, often providing information that cannot be obtained by other means.

The susceptibility of ICs to electromagnetic interference is a growing concern for both designers and failure analysts. This article discusses the causes and effects of transient electromagnetic interference and the factors that influence electromagnetic susceptibility. It explains how to determine susceptibility based on transient pulse testing and presents and interprets the test results of three automotive ICs.