Preparation of Cross Sectional TEM Samples Using Lithographic Techniques and Reactive Ion Etching

1990 ◽  
Vol 199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey T. Wetzel ◽  
K. L. Kavanagh
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Reactive Ion Etching ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Ion Milling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Ion Etching ◽  
Lithographic Patterning ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Transparent Area

ABSTRACTThis paper summarizes methods used to create cross-sectional samples for transmission electron microscopy and introduces another variant of the technique all of which rely upon some combination of lithographic patterning and reactive ion etching. The basic idea pursued in using these techniques was to form, from a preselected location, samples that had a large transparent area without use of mechanical polishing or ion milling. Samples were successfully prepared in this manner, but room for improvement remains due to the limited range of diffraction conditions available for imaging or diffraction pattern formation.

Ion thinning of integrated circuit transverse specimens for transmission electron microscopy

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 1426-1427
Author(s):  
F. Shaapur
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Substrate Surface ◽  
Homogeneous Material ◽  
Material System ◽  
Ion Milling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Motion Profile

Non-uniform ion-thinning of heterogenous material structures has constituted a fundamental difficulty in preparation of specimens for transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A variety of corrective procedures have been developed and reported for reducing or eliminating the effect. Some of these techniques are applicable to any non-homogeneous material system and others only to unidirectionalfy heterogeneous samples. Recently, a procedure of the latter type has been developed which is mainly based on a new motion profile for the specimen rotation during ion-milling. This motion profile consists of reversing partial revolutions (RPR) within a fixed sector which is centered around a direction perpendicular to the specimen heterogeneity axis. The ion-milling results obtained through this technique, as studied on a number of thin film cross-sectional TEM (XTEM) specimens, have proved to be superior to those produced via other procedures.XTEM specimens from integrated circuit (IC) devices essentially form a complex unidirectional nonhomogeneous structure. The presence of a variety of mostly lateral features at different levels along the substrate surface (consisting of conductors, semiconductors, and insulators) generally cause non-uniform results if ion-thinned conventionally.

Microstructure of LaB6-base thick film resistors

1992 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 2225-2229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z.G. Li ◽  
P.F. Carcia ◽  
P.C. Donohue
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Thick Film ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Ion Milling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Electrically Conductive ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
High Temperature Processing ◽  
Thin Wedge

The microstructure of LaB6-base thick film resistors was investigated by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. The specimens were prepared by a technique that polished them to a thin wedge, thus avoiding ion-milling and permitting imaging over a distance of tens of microns. The resistor microstructure contained a finely divided electrically conductive phase of TaB2 and nonconducting crystals of CaTa4O11, formed during high temperature processing of glass and LaB6 ingredients of the thick film ink. Using higher surface area ingredients virtually suppressed the formation of CaTa4O11 crystals, and the microstructure became more uniform. Resistors made with higher surface area intermediates also had better voltage withstanding properties.

Cross sectional Tem Sample Preparation Using E-Beam Lithography and Reactive ion Etching

1997 ◽  
Vol 480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Jin Cho ◽  
Peter B. Griffin ◽  
James D. Plummer
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Reactive Ion Etching ◽  
High Resolution Electron Microscopy ◽  
Ion Milling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Ion Etching ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
Specific Device ◽  
Short Time

AbstractA simple method to make cross sectional TEM samples of Si and GaAs semiconductor devices at specific device locations using electron beam (e-beam) lithography and reactive ion etching is described. The basic idea of this technique is to form pillar or line type patterns thin enough to be transparent to electron beams used in transmission electron microscopy. Since the entire process is conducted in the semiconductor fabrication facility, reliable samples were efficiently obtained within a short time without mechanical polishing or ion milling. High Resolution Electron Microscopy (HREM) images of SiGe and GaAs multilayer structures were obtained by this method. Using the alignment function of the e-beam lithography system, cross sectional TEM samples at specific locations of MOS transistors were obtained. The samples were thin enough to obtain HREM images of atomic level defects in the device.

A Polishless Method For Preparation Of Cross-Sectional Tem Samples

1987 ◽  
Vol 115 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. T. Wetzel ◽  
D. A. Danner
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Traditional Methods ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Lift Off ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Transparent Area

ABSTRACTCross-sectional samples for Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) have been made without the use of mechanical polishing and ion beam milling. Instead of traditional methods, we have used a combination of electron beam (e-beam) lithography for metal lift-off and reactive ion etching (RIE) to produce TEM samples of selected areas. The sample integrity for handling, dropping and ease of use is excellent, and the large amount of transparent area available for study is nearly 2 orders of magnitude larger than that given by traditional methods. The thickness of the samples is somewhat extreme, on the order of 0.50–1.0μm, but efforts are being made to reduce this dimension in order to make the method applicable to the whole range of materials used in silicon technology.

Rocking-Angle Ion-Milling of Cross-Sectional Samples for Transmission Electron Microscopy of Multi-Layer Systems

1997 ◽  
Vol 480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeong Soo Lee ◽  
Hyun Ha Kim ◽  
Young Woo Jeong
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Incidence Angle ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Ion Milling ◽  
Angle Variation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
The Cross

AbstractThe cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimens of Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si, RuO2/SiO2/Si, W/TiN/SiO2/Si, (Pb,La)TiO3/Pt/MgO, Bi4Ti3O12/Lal-xCaxMnO3/MgO, and GaN/Al2O3 were successfully made by the rocking-angle ion-milling technique. The differential thinning problems could be effectively mitigated when the rocking-angle and the ion-beam incidence angle were optimized for each heterostructure. It was found that the sputtering yield ratio between the layer milled most quickly and the layer milled most slowly is one of the important factors which determine the optimum rocking-angle ion-milling condition. The atomic force microscopy study on the surface topography of the cross-sectional Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si TEM sample after ion-milling provided quantitative information about the effects of the rocking-angle variation. A parameter which is the ratio between the layer with a minimum electron transparency and the layer with a maximum electron transparency was suggested.

scholarly journals Investigation of III–V Nanowires by Plan-View Transmission Electron Microscopy: InN Case Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1471-1478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esperanza Luna ◽  
Javier Grandal ◽  
Eva Gallardo ◽  
José M. Calleja ◽  
Miguel Á. Sánchez-García ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Strain Relaxation ◽  
Milling Process ◽  
Specimen Preparation ◽  
Shell Layer ◽  
Ion Milling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Plan View ◽  
Transmission Electron

AbstractWe discuss observations of InN nanowires (NWs) by plan-view high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The main difficulties arise from suitable methods available for plan-view specimen preparation. We explore different approaches and find that the best results are obtained using a refined preparation method based on the conventional procedure for plan-view TEM of thin films, specifically modified for the NW morphology. The fundamental aspects of such a preparation are the initial mechanical stabilization of the NWs and the minimization of the ion-milling process after dimpling the samples until perforation. The combined analysis by plan-view and cross-sectional TEM of the NWs allows determination of the degree of strain relaxation and reveals the formation of an unintentional shell layer (2–3-nm thick) around the InN NWs. The shell layer is composed of bcc In2O3 nanocrystals with a preferred orientation with respect to the wurtzite InN: In2O3 [111] || InN [0001] and In2O3 <110> || InN< $$ 11\bar 20 $$ >.

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