High-Frequency Heterodyne Force Microscopy Investigations Of Copper Interconnects

2003 ◽  
Vol 766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuegui Zheng ◽  
Robert Geer
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Silicon Oxide ◽  
Propagation Time ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Cu Interconnects ◽  
Phase Variations ◽  
Acoustic Phase ◽  
Phase Differences ◽  
Ic Test

AbstractA nondestructive methodology for characterizing Cu interconnects in integrated circuits (ICs) has long been sought and has motivated significant efforts regarding metrology tool development. Here, we present investigations of high-frequency heterodyne force microscopy (HFM) to investigate the acoustic response of damascene-processed Cu interconnects in a silicon oxide dielectric. HFM is a phase-resolved mechanical imaging technique that can, in principle, measure acoustic phase variations with nanometer spatial resolution. HFM measurements at carrier frequencies of 10.8 MHz and 72.5 MHz reveal phase differences of 0.5°-0.7° and 3.5°-4.5°, respectively, between the SiO2 and Cu regions of the IC test structure. Such phase differences are consistent with expected variations due to acoustic propagation time differentials between the Cu and SiO2 regions. Coupled with detailed mechanical measurements of the Cu and SiO2 regions this data may be used to extract spatial maps of acoustic phase delay and investigate subsurface features of similar IC test structures.

Scanned tip measurement of deep vertical facets on a flat surface: Measuring roughness on gaas laser waveguide mirrors

1993 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 532-533
Author(s):  
Chang Shen ◽  
Phil Fraundorf ◽  
Robert W. Harrick
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Flat Surface ◽  
Scanning Force Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Tunneling ◽  
Tunneling Microscopy ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Optoelectronic Integrated Circuits ◽  
Laser Waveguide ◽  
Scanning Force ◽  
Gaas Laser

Monolithic integration of optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEIC) requires high quantity etched laser facets which prevent the developing of more-highly-integrated OEIC's. The causes of facet roughness are not well understood, and improvement of facet quality is hampered by the difficulty in measuring the surface roughness. There are several approaches to examining facet roughness qualitatively, such as scanning force microscopy (SFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The challenge here is to allow more straightforward monitoring of deep vertical etched facets, without the need to cleave out test samples. In this presentation, we show air based STM and SFM images of vertical dry-etched laser facets, and discuss the image acquisition and roughness measurement processes. Our technique does not require precision cleaving. We use a traditional tip instead of the T shape tip used elsewhere to preventing “shower curtain” profiling of the sidewall. We tilt the sample about 30 to 50 degrees to avoid the curtain effect.

Fault Localization in Contact Level by Using Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon C. Lee ◽  
J. H. Chuang
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Fault Localization ◽  
Electrical Characterization ◽  
Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Optical Electron ◽  
Defect Isolation ◽  
Voltage Contrast

Abstract As integrated circuits (IC) have become more complicated with device features shrinking into the deep sub-micron range, so the challenge of defect isolation has become more difficult. Many failure analysis (FA) techniques using optical/electron beam and scanning probe microscopy (SPM) have been developed to improve the capability of defect isolation. SPM provides topographic imaging coupled with a variety of material characterization information such as thermal, magnetic, electric, capacitance, resistance and current with nano-meter scale resolution. Conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) has been widely used for electrical characterization of dielectric film and gate oxide integrity (GOI). In this work, C-AFM has been successfully employed to isolate defects in the contact level and to discriminate various contact types. The current mapping of C-AFM has the potential to identify micro-leaky contacts better than voltage contrast (VC) imaging in SEM. It also provides I/V information that is helpful to diagnose the failure mechanism by comparing I/V curves of different contact types. C-AFM is able to localize faulty contacts with pico-amp current range and to characterize failure with nano-meter scale lateral resolution. C-AFM should become an important technique for IC fault localization. FA examples of this technique will be discussed in the article.

Enhancements of Non-contact Measurements of Electrical Waveforms on the Proximity of a Signal Surface Using Groups of Pulses

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fenglei Du ◽  
Greg Bridges ◽  
D.J. Thomson ◽  
Rama R. Goruganthu ◽  
Shawn McBride ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Electrostatic Force ◽  
Single Pulse ◽  
Electric Signal ◽  
Measurement Instruments ◽  
Cycle Times ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
And Performance

Abstract With the ever-increasing density and performance of integrated circuits, non-invasive, accurate, and high spatial and temporal resolution electric signal measurement instruments hold the key to performing successful diagnostics and failure analysis. Sampled electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) has the potential for such applications. It provides a noninvasive approach to measuring high frequency internal integrated circuit signals. Previous EFMs operate using a repetitive single-pulse sampling approach and are inherently subject to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) problems when test pattern duty cycle times become large. In this paper we present an innovative technique that uses groups of pulses to improve the SNR of sampled EFM systems. The approach can easily provide more than an order-ofmagnitude improvement to the SNR. The details of the approach are presented.

SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY BASED NANOSCALE PATTERNING AND FABRICATION

COSMOS ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 03 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
XIAN NING XIE ◽  
HONG JING CHUNG ◽  
ANDREW THYE SHEN WEE
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Scanning Probe Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Probe ◽  
Scanning Tunneling ◽  
Tunneling Microscopy ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Nanoscale Patterning ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Probe Microscope ◽  
Molecular Manipulation

Nanotechnology is vital to the fabrication of integrated circuits, memory devices, display units, biochips and biosensors. Scanning probe microscope (SPM) has emerged to be a unique tool for materials structuring and patterning with atomic and molecular resolution. SPM includes scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In this chapter, we selectively discuss the atomic and molecular manipulation capabilities of STM nanolithography. As for AFM nanolithography, we focus on those nanopatterning techniques involving water and/or air when operated in ambient. The typical methods, mechanisms and applications of selected SPM nanolithographic techniques in nanoscale structuring and fabrication are reviewed.

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