Search Results for atom probe tomography

This article provides an overview of atom probe tomography (APT) and its use in semiconductor FA and new product development. It discusses the basic components in an atom probe, the making of APT tips, and the general approach for data collection and reconstruction. It also includes a case study in which 3D atom probe techniques are used to map dopant profiles and identify defects in the source-drain region of SiGe FinFET transistors.

New materials integration and improved design can be promoted by using atom probe tomography (APT) as an analysis technique. This article provides an overview of APT principles and setups and provides diverse examples that focus on its use to characterize electronic devices.

This article discusses the basic procedures involved in atom probe tomography (APT) and demonstrates its use on complex material stacks. Although still a relatively new technique, APT has moved to the forefront of semiconductor failure analysis because it can provide 3D chemical composition of a wide range of materials on a near-atomic scale.

Scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) has proven to be an effective tool for investigating doping-related failure mechanism in ICs. The examples in this article show how the author used SCM to solve various problems including premature breakdown due to pattern misalignment, threshold voltage variations caused by poly gate doping anomalies, and source-drain leakage due to channeling effects.

The goals of the workshop were twofold: Give NIST researchers an industry perspective and evaluate the CHIPS Act Metrology R&D program industry relevance to plan to future projects. This guest editorial provides a brief overview of the February 2024 workshop and its outcomes.

This article demonstrates the value of atomic force microscopes, particularly the different electrical modes, for characterizing complex microelectronic structures. It presents experimental results obtained from deep trench isolation (DTI) structures using SCM and SSRM analysis with emphasis on the voltage applied by the AFM. From these measurements, a failure analysis workflow is proposed that facilitates AFM voltage optimization to reveal the structure of cross-sectioned samples, make comparisons, and determine the underlying cause of failures.

The sixth FIB-SEM workshop was held March 1, 2013, in Cambridge, Mass. This article provides a summary of the event along with highlights from the 18 paper presentations.

Four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) is a spatially resolved electron diffraction technique that records the electron scattering distribution at each point of the electron beam raster, thereby producing a four-dimensional dataset. The final article in this series covers ptychography, a form of computational imaging that recovers the phase information imparted to an electron beam as it interacts with a specimen.

The third extended European Failure Analysis Network (EUFANET) workshop, “Smart FA for New Materials in Electronic Devices,” was held in Dresden, Germany, September 17-18, 2012. This article provides a summary of the event with highlights from presentations on flexible organic electronics, crystal defects in SiC, nanoprobing, and the capabilities of nano X-ray tomography.

This article discusses the practice of FIB-based in situ lift-out, a sample preparation method that has proven particularly useful for failure analysis. It explains how samples are now being made for a wide range of TEM techniques, including holography, tomography, high-angle annular dark-field scanning, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. In most cases, achieving optimal quality requires the use of alternate FIB milling angles, as in plan-view, sideways, and backside milling, all of which are discussed.

This article discusses sample preparation challenges that have impeded progress in producing bias-enabled TEM samples from electronic components, as well as strategies to mitigate these issues.

Four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) is a spatially resolved electron diffraction technique that records the electron scattering distribution at each sampling point. 4D-STEM provides researchers with information that can be analyzed in a multitude of ways to characterize a sample’s structure, including imaging, strain measurement, and defect analysis. This article introduces the basics of the technique and some areas of application with an emphasis on semiconductor materials.

This article compiles summaries of User Group meetings held at ISTFA 2013, including the Contactless Fault Isolation User’s Group, the Focused Ion Beam User’s Group, the Sample Prep/3D Package User’s Group, and the Nanoprobing User’s Group. For each meeting, a brief synopsis of the presentations and subsequent dialog is provided.

X-ray tomography has been rapidly gaining acceptance in the semiconductor industry since the first demonstration of its use on IC interconnect in 1999. As failure analysts are discovering, X-ray imaging is more powerful than visible light microscopy and can be used to analyze larger samples than those that fit in an electron microscope. This article provides an introduction to the physics, signal processing, and algorithms involved in X-ray imaging and tomography and the factors that affect resolution.

This article provides a summary of each of the four User’s Group meetings that took place at ISTFA 2011. The summaries cover key participants, presentation topics, and discussion highlights from each of the following groups: Group 1, Focused Ion Beam; Group 2, 3D Packaging and Failure Analysis; Group 3, Finding the Invisible Defect; and Group 4, Nanoprobing and Electrical Characterization.

This article discusses the emergence of nanoelectronics and the effect it may have on semiconductor testing and failure analysis. It describes the different types of quantum effect and molecular electronic devices that have been produced, explaining how they are made, how they work, and the changes that may be required to manufacture and test these devices at scale.

Four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) is a spatially resolved electron diffraction technique that records the electron scattering distribution at each point of the electron beam raster, thereby producing a four-dimensional dataset. This second installment of this series presents applications of 4D-STEM, including measurements of crystal orientation and phase, short- and medium-range order, and internal electromagnetic fields.

In this case study, the author describes the investigation of a defective DC-DC converter retrieved from an aircraft following the report of abnormal system behavior. Electrical testing, local probing, X-ray imaging, and cross-sectional analysis led to the discovery of cracks on several pins and in some of the solder material. The cracks were caused by different rates of thermal expansion and were remedied with the help of thermomechanical analysis, EBSD imaging, and phase map comparisons for thick and thin solder joints.

This is the story of how the mainstream Omniprobe FIB lift-out solution was invented and delivered to the market.

A review of the 2001 edition of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors indicates major obstacles ahead. Of the three basic failure analysis steps—inspection, deprocessing, and fault isolation—the latter is the most at risk, especially physical fault isolation.