SRAM is often chosen to be the process qualification vehicle during technology development or yield learning vehicle during product manufacturing, and consequently failure analysis of SRAM is the main feedback for process improvement and yield learning. The most common SRAM failure is single bit cell failure. Although its location can be precisely localized by functional test and the defect causing the failure is within the failing bit cell, its failure analysis becomes more and more challenging in advanced technology nodes. As semiconductor technology continuously scales down, SRAM bit cell size and power supply voltage decrease, resulting in increased transistor strength variation and mismatch. SRAM single bit cell soft failures have become more and more common. For such a failure, its defect is usually subtle or even there is not physical defect at most cases. The soft failure is just due to transistor parameter variation. To evaluate the single bit cell soft failure and identify its root cause, electrical nano-probing is an indispensable measure. In this paper, we will first describe the operation of a 6-Transistor (6-T) SRAM single bit cell and three different types of single bit cell soft failures, then discuss the two electrical nano-probing methods for the SRAM single bit cell soft failure.

High-performance Ferritic (HiperFer) steels represent a promising materials innovation for next-generation thermal energy conversion systems, particularly in cyclically operating applications like concentrating solar thermal plants and heat storage power plants (Carnot batteries), where current market adoption is hindered by the lack of cost-effective, high-performance materials. HiperFer steels demonstrate superior fatigue resistance, creep strength, and corrosion resistance compared to conventional ferritic-martensitic 9-12 Cr steels and some austenitic stainless steels, making them potentially transformative for future energy technologies. This paper examines the microstructural mechanisms underlying HiperFer’s enhanced fatigue resistance in both short and long crack propagation, while also presenting current findings on salt corrosion properties and exploring potential alloying improvements for fusion reactor applications, highlighting the broad technical relevance of these innovative materials.

Alloy trays and fixtures are integral components in a heat treat operation. Maintaining furnace equipment and alloy trays and fixtures functionality are essential to maximizing the heat treat operation throughput. This paper will discuss and present practical guidelines for periodic inspection and monitoring of alloy trays and fixtures in support of minimizing potential tray and fixture material handling issues and maximizing heat treat operation productivity and throughput.

Failure analysis plays a very important role in semiconductor industry. Photon Emission Microscopy (PEM) has been extensively used in localization of fails in microelectronic devices. However, PEM emission site is not necessarily at the location of the defect. Thus, it has limitation for the success rate of the follow-up physical failure analysis focusing on the emission site. As semiconductor technology advanced in the 3D FinFET realm and feature size further shrank down, the invisible defects during SEM inspection are tremendously increased. It leads to the success rate further decreasing. To maintain good success rate of failure analysis for advanced 3D FinFET technology, electrical probing is necessary to be incorporated into the failure analysis flow. In this paper, first, the statistic results of PEM emission sites versus real defect locations from 102 modules of microprocessors manufactured by 14nm 3D FinFET technology was present. Then, we will present how to wisely design electrical probing plan after PEM analysis. The electrical probing plans are tailored to different scan chain and ATPG failures of microprocessors for improving failure analysis success rate without increasing too much turn-around time. Finally, two case studies have been described to demonstrate how the electrical probing results guide the follow-up physical failure analysis to find the defect.

Future, flexible thermal energy conversion systems require new, demand-optimized high-performance materials. In order to provide a basis for the targeted development of fatigue-resistant, cost-effective steel grades, the microstructural damage to materials and the failure of conventional and novel steels were investigated in thermo-mechanical fatigue and fatigue crack propagation experiments. Based on the results, improved, ferritic “HiperFer” (High performance Ferrite) steels were designed, produced and characterized. A brief description of the current state of development is given.

More efficient, sustainable, flexible and cost-effective energy technologies are strongly needed to fulfil the new challenges of the German “Energiewende”. For a reduction of consumed primary resources higher efficiency steam cycles with increased operating parameters, pressure and temperature, are mandatory. Hence, advanced materials are needed. The present study focuses on stainless, high strength, ferritic (non-martensitic) steel grades, regarding thermal treatment effects on particle evolution. The heat treatment includes variations, e.g. a two phase pre heat treatment. Effects of the treatment were analysed and connected to creep performance. Experiments at differently heat treated materials show promising improvement of creep performance. These results can be linked to the stability and evolution of strengthening Laves phase particles.

This paper describes novel concepts in equipment and measurement techniques that integrate optical electrical microscopy and scanning probe microscopy (SPM) capabilities into a single tool under the umbrella of optical nanoprobe electrical (ONE) microscopy. Optical imaging ONE microscopy permits non-destructive measurement capability that was lost more than a decade ago, when the early metal levels became electrically inaccessible to microprobers. SPM imaging techniques do not have sensitivity to many types of defects, and nanoprobing all of the transistors in an area pinpointed by optical electrical microscopy is often impractical. Thus, in many cases, ONE microscopy capability will permit analytical success instead of failure.

This paper describes the development of detonation-sprayed aluminum-matrix composite coatings reinforced with boron carbide. The goal is to achieve a homogeneous coating structure with low porosity, low oxide content, and high concentration of embedded carbides. Tensile tests of various types were conducted and different stages of deformation were analyzed using micro computed tomography, a 3D imaging technique that reveals the formation of cracks in real time.

Circuit level probing is testing, measuring, or characterizing the operation of an electronic circuit. It reveals the true operation of a circuit, and takes the next step beyond electrical engineering design and circuit simulation. This paper presents the return of circuit level probing in nanoelectronics by means of SEM based nanoprobing. It provides information on the process of characterizing resistance matching, diode matching, Op Amp offset matching, and mirrored current. Circuit level probing, using a SEM based nanoprober, identified the problem to be poor matching between the current mirror devices in the circuit. A family of curves device characterization was obtained from the circuit level probing. Discrete devices testing showed good correlation back to the circuit level data. The device mismatch was determined to be associated with the "as processed" built-in potential of the devices, with no abnormal influence from either the gate or drain electrical fields.

This paper presents the characterization and analysis of Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) standby leakage by electrical characterization, leakage localization, and atomic force probe (AFP) discrete device probing. The methodology described in the paper was applied on 45 nanometers bulk technology parametric SRAM leakage macros, where it indicated the leakage mechanism was junction leakage in the pullup p-type field effect transistors (PFETs) which resulted in raising the gate voltage on the cross coupled pulldown n-type FETs. Backside Optical Beam Induced Resistance Change using a solid immersion lens was performed to identify the high leakage SRAM cells and nanoprobing with an AFP was used to obtain transistor data, which supported the original leakage mechanism. A SEM cross section was obtained which showed a CArec SRAM cell node contact extending deep into the STI along the side of the PFET active area was the physical cause of the high SRAM standby leakage.

The future demands of diesel engines require new options for low-friction and wear-resistant materials in order to increase efficiency and achieve environmentally sound solutions. Efforts are made to improve the performance and reduce the weight of engine blocks by coating the Aluminium cylinder bores with thermal-spray processes. Thus beside other means today nanocrystalline coatings are currently discussed, which should allow for the desired combination of structural, productional, and topographical properties. Beside sufficient tribological properties it is important that the composite (base material and coating) allows for an elongated endurance under cyclic mechanical and thermal stresses. In this work a four-point-bending test was used to examine deleterious failure mechanisms during fatigue such as spalling of the coating or delamination from the substrate. Therefore various thermally sprayed coatings were bent in tension and compression. The results were analysed in relation to the coating microstructure.

The introduction of new wire arc spraying equipment with chopped power supplies offers many possibilities to improve the wire arc spraying process. These power sources provide higher process stability even at reduced voltages. On the one hand conventional applications can be enhanced and on the other hand new processes can be developed. Due to the high process stability the introduction of additional particles into the atomizing gas stream is possible. This can be applied to produce coatings with a high wear resistance as well as a high surface roughness. A combined technology of particle injection and the productive wire arc spraying process enables the economic production of innovative functional surfaces. In the last years ITSC, the injection of corundum particles had been presented. In this paper further strategies for inserting particles into the gas stream and experimental results are shown for iron based coatings. For the reinforcement different carbides were injected into the atomizing gas stream.

Casting molds in the aluminium industry show a short lifespan due to the high corrosiveness of aluminium melts and alternating thermal and mechanical loads. By using new materials, in example pseudoalloys containing tungsten, the lifetime of casting molds can be elongated up to hundredfold. Today, casting molds made of steel are state of the art. In spite of the advantages of pseudoalloys, high manufacturing cost and the increasing commodity price of tungsten prohibit the use of molds consisting of these progressive materials. By coating the standard steel molds with a FeNiW-layer, the excellent thermal and corrosive resistance of the pseudoalloy surface can be combined with minimal manufacturing costs. For present work steel substrates had been coated with FeNiW-pseudoalloys. Therefore, arc spraying and different deposit-welding methods (Laser, Plasma, TIG) had been compared. By modifying the machine parameter set, a smooth transition between substrate and coating was realized. Thermal and chemical resistance of the samples will be tested. In this paper first results are presented.

Thermal Spray processes are widely used to fabricate corrosion and wear resistant coatings respectively. However, these coatings have to be finished generally in subsequent steps, for example by turning, milling or grinding, to adjust the the required properties, e.g., surface roughness and accuracy. Up to now grinding is the most common post processing for wire arc sprayed coatings, but in recent years the hard turning technology gained high interest for coating treatment due to high machining efficiency. The aim of the present work is to enhance the machinability of different thermal sprayed coatings. DoE-based experiments regarding surface roughness, cutting forces and temperatures in the cutting zone had been carried out. Within the investigations a significant increase of hardness due to the hard turning process at Fe-Mn coatings had been verified. This effect, the force induced martensitic transformation, could improve the mechanical properties of the coating considerably. Based on the investigations presented in this paper, a deeper understanding of post processing of thermal sprayed coatings is given.

Cobalt containing carbide powders such as WC-Co and WC-Co-Cr for thermal spraying exist in numerous modifications varying in chemistry, carbide size, and production method. They are widely used for wear, erosion and corrosion protection in many industrial fields. However, for decades it has been well-known from the hard metal industry that WC and Co containing hard metals in breathable dust form can provoke severe lung diseases if inhaled. Recent examinations have proven that this toxicity can be significantly reduced if the Co is pre-alloyed by Fe. In thermal spraying employees are also dealing with Co containing carbides, for example in powder and coating production. Therefore, in order to reduce the hazards for health and the environment, a new class of agglomerated and sintered carbide powders using Fe based binder materials have been developed and investigated. In the present study the powders were HVOF sprayed in order to examine the influence of their different composition and morphology on the microstructure and the properties of the coatings in comparison to standard materials. The experiments comprise microstructural examinations, wear and corrosion tests.

The precondition of a cost efficient wire arc spraying process is an ideal process setup according to the wire material. Modern power supplies are equipped with electronic control circuits to ensure stable arc conditions at the wire tips. This is necessary for high quality wire arc sprayed coatings. The key factors to achieve this are the arc energy and fluid mechanics as well. By the use of a PID controller to maintain set spray parameters, it is possible to reduce the spray voltage down to 15 V for zinc as feedstock material. Furthermore temperature dependent parameter fluctuations can be compensated with the electronic controller, while working at maximum capacity with one hundred percent duty cycle. The paper discusses the influence of a new power supply with regard to the process stability and the enhancement of former power supply based process limitation as well as the operator guidance.

A method for the production of particle reinforced coatings by wire arc spraying will be presented in this paper. This technology is based on twin-wire electric arc spraying (TWEA) process. Here, additional particles were injected into the atomizing gas stream and sprayed in a non molten state along with wire feedstock material onto the substrate. According to the reinforcing particles, the process can be applied to produce coatings with a high wear resistance as well as a high surface roughness. In a wide range of applications, these coating characteristics are required. Due to economic constraints, coatings of large surfaces have to be done in short times at low costs. Based on wire arc spraying, the thermal spray process with the highest deposition performance, the mentioned industry requirements can be fulfilled.

In a joint development project, TACR GmbH1 and H.C. Starck GmbH 2 took an approach to adjust the properties of an agglomerated and sintered YSZ powder to a process setup optimized for a HOSP type powder. Within the OEM approved process parameters, which could be changed within narrow limits only, the particle size distribution of the agglomerated and sintered powder was adjusted to meet process parameters and spray setup. Key parameters for the comparison of coating properties and spray behavior were coating porosity and deposition efficiency (DE).