Advanced nanoscale material characterization requires high lateral resolution and sensitivity. This paper presents a novel analytical system that integrates a liquid metal alloy ion source (LMAIS), magnetic sector secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and laser interferometer stage with focused ion beam (FIB) technology. This integration enables high-resolution 2D/3D structural visualization and precise surface analysis at the nanoscale. We demonstrate the system's enhanced capabilities in microelectronics applications, where it achieves unprecedented spatial resolution and analytical sensitivity. Our results show how this advanced nano-analysis platform expands the boundaries of materials science and semiconductor technology characterization.

This presentation covers ion beam analytical tools, their capabilities, and uses. It provides an overview of ion sources, examines emerging trends in surface analysis, and assesses the potential of ultrafast lasers for panoscopic patterning, athermal ablation, and elemental analysis. It compares and contrasts liquid metal, gas field, and plasma sources and presents examples highlighting the capabilities of FIB-SIMS and FIB-SEM Auger/XPS surface analysis techniques. It also introduces computationally guided microspectroscopy (CGM) and assesses its potential impact on multi-variant analysis, point spread deconvolution, and compressed sensing.

This presentation covers ion beam analytical tools, their capabilities, and uses. It provides an overview of ion sources, examines emerging trends in surface analysis, and assesses the potential of ultrafast lasers for panoscopic patterning, athermal ablation, and elemental analysis. It compares and contrasts liquid metal, gas field, and plasma sources and presents examples highlighting the capabilities of FIB-SIMS and FIB-SEM Auger/XPS surface analysis techniques. It also introduces computationally guided microspectroscopy (CGM) and assesses its potential impact on multi-variant analysis, point spread deconvolution, and compressed sensing.

Presentation slides for the ISTFA 2023 Tutorial session “Charged Particle Systems-Fundamentals and Opportunities.”

Presentation slides for the ISTFA 2024 Tutorial session “Charged Particle Systems—Fundamentals and Opportunities (2024 Update).”

The standard Ga focused ion beam (FIB) technology is facing challenges because of a request for large volume removal. This is true in the field of failure analysis. This article presents the first combined tool which can fulfill this requirement. This tool offers the combination of a high resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a high current FIB with Xe plasma ion source. The article focuses on failure analysis examples and discusses the different steps of extra large cross sections (deposition of protective layer, rough milling, and polishing). Several applications of the novel Xe plasma FIB/SEM instrument are shown with respect to the failure analysis. The performance of the instrument is tested and discussed in comparison to gallium liquid metal ion source FIB systems. Results show that the Xe plasma FIB offers much higher milling rate, greatly reducing the time necessary for many failure analysis tasks.

This paper describes how faulty thin-film transistors (TFTs) having fragile structures in themselves can be characterized by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM) through the achievement of pinpoint accuracy in focused ion beam (FIB) etching. We demonstrate X-TEM analysis for faulty TFTs caused by mechanical damages, microvoid in their multilayers and long aluminum whiskers growing from the electrodes. X-TEM specimen were prepared by FIB etching without losing unique structures owing to fragile locations. Cross-sectional bright-field TEM micrographs clearly showed the details of cross sectional structure of fragile location. This pin-point X-TEM is quite helpful to identify faults and to reveal root causes of failures.

This paper describes a circuit editing procedure in which the authors used a gallium column Focused Ion Beam (FIB) tool to divide a merged 32nm multi-finger planar transistor into two separate operating components. Rather than rely on live imaging or the various endpoint detection techniques commonly used during an active mill, the authors opted for a ‘blind’ dose-driven technique. The paper explains how the authors made multiple attempts on practice material in order to determine the exact beam placement location and the depth of cut required to perform the operation with a minimum of lateral damage. The loss of a pair of poly gate fingers in the middle of the multi-gate structure seemed to have minimal impact on the final electrical parameters and the separate data paths worked per design specifications.

Nanomachining capability scaling both in the areas of machining precision and novel gas chemistries are required for focused ion beam technology to keep pace with process technology advancement. In this paper, we review the nanomachining potential for the Helium Ion Microscope (HIM) and the Neon Ion Microscope (NIM). The paper also includes an in depth analysis of NIM imaging resolution, subsurface material interaction, and nanomachining performance.

Microstructural diagnostics for electronic packaging development and failure analysis under industrial manufacturing conditions require fast but reliable preparation routines which result in samples of high quality without preparation artefacts. The aim of the presented paper is to introduce a time- and cost efficient ion beam-based preparation procedure for high resolution Field Emission- Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analysis for packaging components. In particular, the considerable advantages of the proposed method compared to standard metallographic approaches will be demonstrated by discussing results of typical failure analysis examples as a function of the preparation procedure.

In semiconductor manufacturing technology, copper has been widely used for BEOL process due to better conductivity than aluminum. TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) characterization has been played in key role to understand the process of semiconductor manufacturing. Gallium base Focused Ion Beam (FIB) is widely used on TEM sample preparation. The experiment to understand the impact of gallium which is from sample preparation process on Cu layer was performed. In-situ TEM studies have shown real time material characteristic of Cu at various temperature [1]. We observed the gallium aggregation phenomenon on Cu layer at round the temperature of 400°C. This thermal aggregation of gallium on Cu layer has been confirmed by EDS analysis in the study. Detectable amount of gallium was found in whole area in the sample before heating the sample at in-situ TEM work. This paper also introduces alternative solutions to resolve this gallium aggregation in copper layer including the sample preparation technique using Xe Plasma Focused Ion Beam (PFIB) [2]. This Xe PFIB showed the substantial improvement of specimen quality for the in-situ TEM experiment of sample preparation.

The sample preparation for transmission electron microscope can be done using a method known as "lift-out". This paper demonstrates a method of using a silver-gallium nanoneedle array for a quicker sharpening process of tungsten probes with better sample viewing, covering the fabrication steps and performance of needle-tipped probes for lift-out process. First, an array of high aspect ratio silver-gallium nanoneedles was fabricated and coated to improve their conductivity and strength. Then, the nanoneedles were welded to a regular tungsten probe in the focused ion beam system at the desired angle, and used as a sharp probe for lift-out. The paper demonstrates the superior mechanical properties of crystalline silver-gallium metallic nanoneedles. Finally, a weldless lift-out process is described whereby a nano-fork gripper was fabricated by attaching two nanoneedles to a tungsten probe.

Copper will probably replace aluminum alloys as the interconnect metallurgy of choice for high performance semiconductor devices. This transition will challenge the suitability of established practices in focused ion beam (FIB) chip repair. A fundamental rethink in methodology, techniques, and process gases will be required to deal with the new metal films. This paper discusses the results of recent experiments in the areas of FIB exposure, cuts and connections to buried copper lines. While copper tends to mill faster than aluminum, etch rate variations due to grain structure tend to make reliable isolation cuts more difficult. The films also have been shown to suffer regrowth and surface reactions during long term storage following FIB exposure. Attempts at halogen gas assisted etch (GAE) mills result in undesirable removal characteristics, and in the case of bromine, the spontaneous destruction of all exposed copper in the immediate area. Resistance measurements and reliability of deposited tungsten connections to copper lines are also presented. In addition, the latest techniques developed for aluminum wiring isolation and device characterization are shown. These include 'cleanup' methods for achieving good circuit isolation without the extensive use of local oxide deposition, and the latest multilevel version of the FIB ‘wagon wheel’ for SRAM cell characterization. Also included is preliminary data from a custom built FIB chamber four manipulator prober module.

This presentation introduces the practice of focused ion beam (FIB) chip editing and its power and versatility as a problem-solving tool. It begins with a review of the features and functions of FIB systems, the role of gas chemistry in milling, etching, and deposition, and the use of IR imaging for navigation and targeting. It goes on to identify challenges due to packaging materials, chip-package interactions, and other factors, and in each case, provide alternate approaches and procedures to circumvent potential problems. It also covers advanced practices and methods and assesses potential future advancements.

This presentation introduces the practice of focused ion beam (FIB) chip editing and its power and versatility as a problem-solving tool. It begins with a review of the features and functions of FIB systems, the role of gas chemistry in milling, etching, and deposition, and the use of IR imaging for navigation and targeting. It goes on to identify challenges due to packaging materials, chip-package interactions, and other factors, and in each case, provide alternate approaches and procedures to circumvent potential problems. It also covers advanced practices and methods and assesses potential future advancements.

The purpose of this article is to lay out a scientific methodology for investigating lithium ion (Li-ion) product failures. The discussion provides possible causes for an overheating Li-ion cell failure and covers processes involved in preventing Li-ion incidents. Performing a scientific root cause failure analysis involves systematically performing the failure analysis, which is explained in detail, to eliminate branches from the fault tree and arrive at the root cause of a given failure. Statistical analysis of Li-ion cells is provided, along with a recall determination of issues in Li-ion cells. The article also presents snapshots from actual Li-ion investigations selected from hundreds of investigations that have been performed by the authors at Exponent as far back as 1995.

Presentation slides for the ISTFA 2024 Tutorial session “An Introduction to the FIB as a Microchip Circuit Edit Tool (2024 Update).”

A Plasma-source focused ion beam (Helios PFIB) DualBeam™ microscope with sub-nanometer 1kV SEM resolution was used to investigate the structure of a state-of-the-art organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. The capability of the Helios PFIB to produce and manipulate millimeter-scale samples for wide field-of-view crosssectional SEM analyses was demonstrated by lifting out a 570μm long by 40μm wide x 10μm deep and mounting it on a copper half-grid. An angled face was cut into the chunk and high-resolution back-scattered SEM tiles across the entire exposed face were automatically acquired within a modular automated processing system (MAPS).

In this paper, we demonstrate with a case study on a nanocapacitor, the capability of transmission electron microscopy in electron holography mode to be a unique in-situ technique for mapping electric fields and charge distributions on a single device. Such precision is necessary to keep pace with shrinking device dimensions and the ever increasing complexity of device architectures.

The Directive 2002/95/EC (referred as ROHS) of the European Parliament and of the Council restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. This article reports on a fast and inexpensive methodology for rapidly screening entire electronic assemblies that acts as a high-level screen for obvious ROHS violations. Using this methodology, this lab has been able to check entire product lines for basic ROHS compliance and has identified many cases where vendors needed to be informed of ROHS violations before a product could be certified as ROHS compliant. Four tests are employed. Each of them is described, along with the basic theory behind the test: pre-screening with x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and electron dispersion spectroscopy; detection and identification of polybrominated biphenyl ethers using gas chromatography - mass spectrometry; and chromium 6 colorimetric testing based on diphenylcarbazide.