FEI has joined Sematech's Advanced Metrology Development Program at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany.
The collaboration between FEI, a provider of atomic-scale imaging and analysis systems, and Sematech, a global consortium of chipmakers, will expand on current joint efforts for the development of technologies to enable improved process control and yield.
As a member of this programme, FEI will collaborate with experts in Sematech's metrology divisions to develop high-resolution capabilities of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and focused ion beam (FIB) technology to address critical needs in process development and defect analysis.
These tools will provide the high-resolution imaging and compositional data on the scale of a few nanometres, which is said to be invaluable for defect analysis.
Rudy Kellner, vice-president and general manager of FEI's Electronics Division, said: 'FEI is proud to supply Sematech with our highly advanced wafer-to-TEM data equipment suite, which will help them maximise the volume of high-resolution imaging and analytical data output for next-generation semiconductor devices.
'Utilising the automated, high-throughput CLM+ TEM sample preparation solution, combined with FEI's TEMlink lamella lift-out system, Sematech will be able to produce a steady supply of high-quality TEM lamella for its Titan TEM.
'Equipped with the new Multiloader double-tilt sample holder, the Titan TEM achieves a level of unprecedented connectivity across system platforms, enabling secure, reliable and traceable sample transfer.' Analytical TEM has historically been used for basic research in advanced materials development.
However, as electronic devices approach the nanometre scale, defects consisting of even a few atoms become critical.
The combination of both TEM and EELS provides detailed information about physical structure, atomic arrangement, chemical bonding, density and electronic behaviour on a nanometre scale.
The result is a much more complete profile of each material than would have been possible with a smaller set of techniques.
Brad Thiel, CNSE associate professor of nanoscience and director of Sematech's Advanced Metrology Development Program at the UAlbany NanoCollege, said: 'The integration of FEI's TEM with EELS is a leading candidate to replace SEM-based EDX for inline elemental analysis of defects for the 45nm node and below.' The integration of new materials into semiconductor devices requires advanced analytical characterisation techniques such as the high-resolution imaging capabilities afforded by TEM.
FIB technology is suitable for preparing ultra-thin TEM samples from small device features.
Sematech's Advanced Metrology Development Program at the UAlbany NanoCollege is developing characterisation technologies that will address current and projected metrology gaps.
Thiel added: 'Our goal is to develop charactersation techniques and methodologies to address a range of issues, including the metrology for films, defects and 3D structures.'
