This paper describes a new infrared (IR) technique that offers sub-micron spatial resolution with a pump-probe scheme that can offer simultaneous collection of IR and Raman spectra at the same spatial resolution. The technique uses a single beam to collect both IR and Raman spectra using a technique called Optical Photothermal Infrared (O-PTIR). The O-PTIR technique provides constant spatial resolution over the entire mid-IR range due to the use of a fixed wavelength probe beam at 532 nm. The paper provides examples that highlight the advantages of the novel technique for addressing challenges that are commonly observed in the failure and contamination analysis community.

The design and construction of a well-executed laboratory space to house high resolution analytical imaging and processing tools can often be more complex and expensive than anticipated. Unlike their manufacturing counterparts, lab tools as a class have fewer built-in countermeasures to fend off operational degradation caused by external factors. A poorly optimized facility can result in significant underperformance of installed systems, thereby wasting the investment and jeopardizing the mission. Unfortunately, very few assigned laboratory spaces are ‘naturally’ perfect for the installation of new analytical equipment at the outset. It typically takes considerable work to engineer most locations so that the tools function as they should and live up to expectations. The magnitude of the challenge and its true cost and lead time often come as a huge surprise to failure analysis engineers tasked with wearing multiple ‘hats’ while navigating the capital approval process. Being caught off guard in this manner often results in considerable time delay, as well as over-budget or sub-par outcomes. In this paper we offer suggestions on how to revamp the typical capital cycle process for specifying, buying, and installing future laboratory tools. We furthermore aim to produce an abbreviated reference guide for tool owners on facility requirements needed to ensure optimal analytical system performance.

Modern electronic systems rely on components with nanometer-scale feature sizes in which failure can be initiated by atomic-scale electronic defects. These defects can precipitate dramatic structural changes at much larger length scales, entirely obscuring the origin of such an event. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) is among the few imaging systems for which atomic-resolution imaging is easily accessible, making it a workhorse tool for performing failure analysis on nanoscale systems. When equipped with spectroscopic attachments TEM excels at determining a sample’s structure and composition, but the physical manifestation of defects can often be extremely subtle compared to their effect on electronic structure. Scanning TEM electron beam-induced current (STEM EBIC) imaging generates contrast directly related to electronic structure as a complement the physical information provided by standard TEM techniques. Recent STEM EBIC advances have enabled access to a variety of new types of electronic and thermal contrast at high resolution, including conductivity mapping. Here we discuss the STEM EBIC conductivity contrast mechanism and demonstrate its ability to map electronic transport in both failed and pristine devices.

Manual TEM analysis with elemental analysis through EELS or EDS has long been a major throughput bottleneck in physical failure analysis. The novel non-commercial technique presented in this paper is a historical and industry-first milestone of developments of combining elemental analysis and raw TEM data to automate data reporting. The approach uses a layered architecture in which “specific skills” are created on top of so-called "generic skills" (i.e., generic robot behaviors like cursor motions). With this skill-oriented robot programming approach, time and cost-efficient data production has been established with high accuracy, speed, and comprehension. The speed and productivity of images and maps, obtained from both collected raw data and jobs in the queue, cannot be achieved by manual operation, and the accuracy and comprehension cannot be practically obtained routinely on each job by human interaction because it is too time consuming.

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is a well-established method in semiconductor manufacturing process control and development for trace metal and organic contaminant detection, as well as for depth profiling of ultra-thin film stacks and total dopant concentrations. Using a focused ion beam (FIB) as the primary ion beam provides a versatile and highly sensitive analytical technique with lateral resolution down to a few tens of nanometers, an appropriate technique for targeted failure analysis on functional device structures. This paper presents an example to show the potential of FIB-SIMS to support failure analysis, concentrating on practical aspects of the technique.