SPM system for semiconductor device applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) is crucial for semiconductor device development, offering high-resolution topography and electronic structure analysis.
• Characterizing nanoscale devices and thin films requires advanced metrology to optimize fabrication processes.
• Existing SPM methods face challenges with probe variations and dynamic property evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an advanced SPM system for comprehensive characterization of thin films in semiconductor device applications.
• To enable evaluation of dynamic electronic properties of thin films without complex device patterning.
• To improve the reproducibility and accuracy of roughness measurements for thin films.

Main Methods:

• Developed an SPM system capable of applying short electrical pulses (down to 50 ns) to the sample holder for dynamic response evaluation.
• Implemented a virtual reference probe method for reproducible roughness measurements, correcting for SPM probe apex variations.
• Utilized image reconstruction techniques (erosion, dilation) for data analysis in roughness measurements.

Main Results:

• The SPM system successfully evaluated dynamic electronic properties of thin films, crucial for optimizing deposition conditions (e.g., sputtering parameters).
• Demonstrated the system's utility in optimizing film quality for applications like resistive memories.
• Achieved reproducible roughness measurements by effectively normalizing probe variations.

Conclusions:

• The developed SPM system provides a powerful tool for characterizing thin films, including their dynamic electronic properties and surface roughness.
• This technology aids in optimizing semiconductor fabrication processes and material deposition for advanced devices.
• The system also offers capabilities for detecting nanoscale contaminants on silicon wafers.