Failure analysis of integrated circuits beyond the diffraction limit: contact mode near-field scanning optical microscopy with integrated resistance, capacitance, and UV confocal imaging

2000 ◽  
Vol 88 (9) ◽  
pp. 1471-1479 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Lewis ◽  
E. Shambrot ◽  
A. Radko ◽  
K. Lieberman ◽  
S. Ezekiel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Failure Analysis ◽  
Optical Microscopy ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Diffraction Limit ◽  
Confocal Imaging ◽  
Contact Mode ◽  
Scanning Optical Microscopy ◽  
Near Field Scanning

Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy for Through-Silicon Imaging and Fault Isolation of Integrated Circuits

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Giridharagopal ◽  
T.M. Eiles ◽  
B. Niu
Keyword(s):  
Optical Microscopy ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Diffraction Limit ◽  
Fault Isolation ◽  
Lateral Resolution ◽  
Excitation Wavelength ◽  
Process Technology ◽  
Scanning Optical Microscopy ◽  
Near Field Scanning

Abstract We present the first known images acquired using near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) through backside silicon on functional integrated circuit samples with higher resolution than conventional fault isolation (FI) tools. NSOM offers the possibility of substantially-improved lateral resolution independent of excitation wavelength. Current FI techniques have challenged the resolution limits of conventional optics technology, even in the best solid immersion lens (SIL) to date. This poses a problem for future process technology nodes. This resolution barrier is a by-product of the diffraction limit. In Fourier terms, a conventional lens filters out highfrequency information and thus limits the resolution. In NSOM, by placing a tip with an aperture in extreme proximity to the surface it is possible to capture the near-field light that contains high-frequency information, thereby circumventing the diffraction limit. The tangible benefit is that the resolution is substantially improved. We show that NSOM can be used in backside subsurface imaging of silicon, mirroring the paradigm used in typical optical FI. We present optical reflectance data through ~100 nm of remaining backside Si on functional 22 nm CMOS IC parts with lateral resolution approaching 100 nm. We then discuss potential methods for using NSOM in practical backside fault isolation applications and for improving signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

scholarly journals Cell biology beyond the diffraction limit: near-field scanning optical microscopy

2001 ◽  
Vol 114 (23) ◽  
pp. 4153-4160
Author(s):  
Frank de Lange ◽  
Alessandra Cambi ◽  
Richard Huijbens ◽  
Bärbel de Bakker ◽  
Wouter Rensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Microscopy ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Diffraction Limit ◽  
Detection Sensitivity ◽  
Live Cells ◽  
Scanning Optical Microscopy ◽  
Near Field Scanning

Throughout the years, fluorescence microscopy has proven to be an extremely versatile tool for cell biologists to study live cells. Its high sensitivity and non-invasiveness, together with the ever-growing spectrum of sophisticated fluorescent indicators, ensure that it will continue to have a prominent role in the future. A drawback of light microscopy is the fundamental limit of the attainable spatial resolution – ∼250 nm – dictated by the laws of diffraction. The challenge to break this diffraction limit has led to the development of several novel imaging techniques. One of them, near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), allows fluorescence imaging at a resolution of only a few tens of nanometers and, because of the extremely small near-field excitation volume, reduces background fluorescence from the cytoplasm to the extent that single-molecule detection sensitivity becomes within reach. NSOM allows detection of individual fluorescent proteins as part of multimolecular complexes on the surface of fixed cells, and similar results should be achievable under physiological conditions in the near future.

Raman imaging with near‐field scanning optical microscopy

1995 ◽  
Vol 67 (17) ◽  
pp. 2483-2485 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. Jahncke ◽  
M. A. Paesler ◽  
H. D. Hallen
Keyword(s):  
Optical Microscopy ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Raman Imaging ◽  
Scanning Optical Microscopy ◽  
Near Field Scanning

Investigations of liquid crystals and liquid ambients using near-field scanning optical microscopy

1995 ◽  
Vol 61 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 291-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. Moyer ◽  
Stefan Kämmer ◽  
Karsten Walzer ◽  
Michael Hietschold
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Optical Microscopy ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Scanning Optical Microscopy ◽  
Near Field Scanning
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