Metrology | FIB | CMP | Nanomaterials
Over the past 30 years, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and more recently scanning TEM (STEM) has increasingly become the preferred method for ultrahigh resolution characterization of microelectronic materials, processes, and devices. With present day feature size of 45 nm for commercial ULSI devices and a projected feature size of 22 nm by 2011, the demand for ultrahigh resolution characterization tools has never been higher, particularly given the sensitivity for device reliability. The application of these characterization tools spans a number of critical areas including: metrology, quality control/assurance, process development and optimization, and failure analysis. TEM and STEM provides unmatched visualization for a wide range of properties including layer structures and uniformity, definition of complex structures such as corners and edges, interfacial adhesion and roughness, and defect structure. When used in combination with other analytical methods including energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), energy filtered TEM (EFTEM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) among others, there is an unprecedented opportunity to develop an integrated understanding of the relationships between structure, process, chemistry, and function at the nanoscale that is so critical for device reliability. While the instrumentation to generate information for all of these methods has reached a sufficient state of maturity, sample preparation methods, and more generally, routine usability of all of these tools is remains a significant challenge.
Smart Grids offer the opportunity to simplify TEM sample preparation while increasing sample reliability and reproducibility (especially useful for FIB lamella), establish new standards for metrology, expand capabilities for process development, and enhance the use of TEM as a standard for quality assurance for both devices themselves as well as semiconducting materials and materials used for processing (e.g. CMP slurries). Smart Grids are copper-free so there is no opportunity for contamination of samples in highly sensitive clean-room environments.