We demonstrate the effectiveness of combining top-down and cross-sectional electron beam induced current (EBIC) imaging with SEM nanoprobe analysis to identify subtle front-end defects in advanced FinFET technology. Our approach successfully localized a novel fin nanocrack defect that had previously eluded detection through conventional TEM imaging. This systematic resistive pMOS failure, observable only in memory arrays at 150°C, exemplifies the power of EBIC as an alternative to scanning capacitance microscopy for detecting dopant anomalies and subtle defects. The sample preparation and EBIC methodologies presented here are broadly applicable across CMOS technologies, offering a versatile approach to defect analysis.

We present the first experimental demonstration of on demand bit-level Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) validation and isolation through the exploitation of a continuous wave (CW) 785nm Laser-Induced Fault Analysis (LIFA) system. Through careful test pattern edits and the observation of a simple pass/fail flag, the ability to spatially map the physical location of pre-selected bits in 40nm, 16nm, and 5nm SRAM arrays using correlation units is confirmed. This work demonstrates a novel and highly-efficient methodology for rapid bit-level logical-to-physical identification. It also improves localization efficacy over conventional bitmap validation best-known methods (BKM) which typically rely on post-fail Photo-Emission Microscopy (PEM) and/or Soft Defect Localization / Laser-Assisted Device Alteration (LADA) performed on an actual fail unit. This new technique re-defines the state-of-the-art in SRAM bitmap validation and localization and offers a pathway to significantly improve cycle time for both product bitmap qualification and subsequent root cause identification.

As advanced silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology becomes a more widespread technology offering, failure analysis approaches should be adapted to new device structures. We review two nanoprobing case studies of advanced SOI technology, detailing the electrical characterization of a compound gate-to-drain defect as well as the characterization of unexpected SOI source-to-well leakage.

We present the first experimental demonstration of stuck-at scan chain fault isolation through the exploitation of Single Event Upsets (SEU) in a Laser-Induced Fault Analysis (LIFA) system. By observing a pass/fail flag, we can spatially map all flops after a defect in a failing scan chain through induced SEU sites produced by a fiber-amplified 25 ps 1064 nm diode laser. In addition, a custom fault isolation methodology is presented in which the result highlights only the first working flop immediately after the defect mechanism causing the stuck-at chain failure. This work demonstrates a novel method for rapid scan chain fault isolation that significantly improves localization efficacy over conventional best-known methods (BKM) based on frequency mapping. Moreover, experimental results are presented to demonstrate that LIFA can be extended to interrogate the data state of flip flops in a scan chain. Results are also presented to establish that LIFA can be configured as a hardware-based diagnostics platform.

We present an upgraded time-resolved LADA system, with a 25ps pulsed laser, integrated into a commercial laser scanning microscope used in failure analysis. We demonstrate the use of this system on 14nm/16nm finfet devices.

This paper describes how a DDR loopback test failure was analyzed successfully after being repackaged from an MBGA into a TBGA package substrate. DDR loopback test methodology is discussed as well as the advanced failure analysis techniques that were used to identify the root cause of failure.

An asynchronous Low Voltage Detect (LVD) interrupt during the self-test portion of the reset sequence of a microcontroller randomly caused a corrupted clock state that was not recoverable except through a power on reset, or POR. This paper discusses the techniques used to overcome the many obstacles encountered to determine the root cause of the race condition that corrupted the clock state machine registers.

Laser-assisted device alteration (LADA) is an established technique used to identify critical speed paths in integrated circuit. In this paper, the characterization of continuous wave 1340nm laser induced currents and the LADA failure rate show that a two photon absorption explanation for the LADA effect is not plausible. The following sections confirm the results of a 28nm-node nMOS transistor using a 2.45NA solid immersion lens. The effects of global heating to that of local laser heating are then compared. The paper shows that the LADA response time to approximately 1300nm irradiation is << 100ns. It explains LADA at approximately 1300nm, free carrier absorption in the silicon and in the local silicide layers, and presents selected 1320nm LADA images on 28nm-node devices. Finally, it shows 1064nm LADA images on the same structure that indicate that 1064nm interaction with transistors is related to free carrier absorption, rather than electron-hole pair creation.

Laser-assisted device alteration (LADA) is an established technique used to identify critical speed paths in integrated circuits. LADA can reveal the physical location of a speed path, but not the timing of the speed path. This paper describes the root cause analysis benefits of 1064nm time resolved LADA (TR-LADA) with a picosecond laser. It shows several examples of how picosecond TR-LADA has complemented the existing fault isolation toolset and has allowed for quicker resolution of design and manufacturing issues. The paper explains how TR-LADA increases the LADA localization resolution by eliminating the well interaction, provides the timing of the event detected by LADA, indicates the propagation direction of the critical signals detected by LADA, allows the analyst to infer the logic values of the critical signals, and separates multiple interactions occurring at the same site for better understanding of the critical signals.

Time-resolved photon emission has been shown to be useful in analyzing clock skews and timing-related defects in flip-chip devices. In practice, time-resolved photon emission using the S-25 Quantar detector cannot be used at long loop lengths (typically >10 μs). This paper discusses a near-infrared (NIR) optimized time-resolved emission system to demonstrate that even with long loop lengths time-resolved photon emission can be extremely useful for defect localization. Specifically, it describes time-resolved photon emission system, and shows how time-resolved photon emission was used to solve two different issues that caused scan fails on silicon-on-insulator devices, and briefly discusses the interpretation of optical waveforms. The two issues are presented as case studies.