Nanoprobing is method of extracting device

electrical parameters Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

through the use of nanoscale tungsten wires, used primarily in the semiconductor industry. The characterization of individual devices is instrumental to engineers and

integrated circuit An integrated circuit (IC), also known as a microchip or simply chip, is a set of electronic circuits, consisting of various electronic components (such as transistors, resistors, and capacitors) and their interconnections. These components a ...

designers during initial product development and debug. It is commonly utilized in device

failure analysis Failure analysis is the process of collecting and analyzing data to determine the cause of a failure, often with the goal of determining corrective actions or liability. According to Bloch and Geitner, ”machinery failures reveal a reaction chain ...

laboratories to aid with yield enhancement, quality and reliability issues and customer returns. Commercially available nanoprobing systems are integrated into either a vacuum-based

scanning electron microscope A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a type of electron microscope that produces images of a sample by scanning the surface with a focused beam of electrons. The electrons interact with atoms in the sample, producing various signals that ...

(SEM) or

atomic force microscope Atomic force microscopy (AFM) or scanning force microscopy (SFM) is a very-high-resolution type of scanning probe microscopy (SPM), with demonstrated resolution on the order of fractions of a nanometer, more than 1000 times better than the diffr ...

(AFM). Nanoprobing systems that are based on AFM technology are referred to as Atomic Force nanoProbers (AFP).

Principles and operation

AFM based nanoprobers, enable up to eight probe tips to be scanned to generate high resolution AFM topography images, as well as Conductive AFM, Scanning Capacitance, and Electrostatic Force Microscopy images. Conductive AFM provides pico-amp resolution to identify and localize electrical failures such as shorts, opens, resistive contacts and leakage paths, enabling accurate probe positioning for current-voltage measurements. AFM based nanoprobers enable nanometer scale device defect localization and accurate transistor device characterization without the physical damage and electrical bias induced by high energy electron beam exposure. Nanoprobes at low magnification in a scanning electron microscope

Nanoprobes at low magnification in a scanning electron microscope

For SEM based nanoprobers, the ultra-high resolution of the microscopes that house the nanoprobing system allow the operator to navigate the probe tips with precise movement, allowing the user to see exactly where the tips will be landed, in real time. Existing nanoprobe needles or “probe tips” have a typical end-point radius ranging from 5 to 35 nm. The fine tips enable access to individual contacts

nodes In general, a node is a localized swelling (a "knot") or a point of intersection (a vertex). Node may refer to: In mathematics *Vertex (graph theory), a vertex in a mathematical graph *Vertex (geometry), a point where two or more curves, lines, ...

of modern IC transistors. Navigation of the probe tips in SEM based nanoprobers are typically controlled by precision

piezoelectric Piezoelectricity (, ) is the electric charge that accumulates in certain solid materials—such as crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA, and various proteins—in response to applied stress (mechanics), mechanical s ...

manipulators. Typical systems have anywhere from 2 to 8 probe manipulators with high end tools having better than 5 nm of placement resolution in the X, Y & Z axes and a high accuracy sample stage for navigation of the sample under test.

Application and capabilities for semiconductor devices

Common nanoprobing techniques include, but are not limited to: *General **DC

transistor A transistor is a semiconductor device used to Electronic amplifier, amplify or electronic switch, switch electrical signals and electric power, power. It is one of the basic building blocks of modern electronics. It is composed of semicondu ...

characterization (Id-Vg and Id-Vd Measurements) **Characterizing SRAM bitcells **

BEOL Back end of the line or back end of line (BEOL) is a process in semiconductor device fabrication that consists of depositing metal interconnect layers onto a wafer already patterned with devices. It is the second part of IC fabrication, after f ...

Metal Resistance Measurements *AFM-based tools specific **Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy (CAFM) **Scanning Capacitance Microscopy (SCM) **Electrostatic Force Microscopy (EFM) *SEM-based tools specific **Electron-Beam Absorbed Current Imaging (EBAC) **Electron-Beam Induced Current ( EBIC) **Electron Beam Induced Resistance Change (EBIRCH)

Challenges

Common issues that arise: *Nanoprobe manipulator stability *Live image resolution *Maintaining probe conductivity *Chamber/Surface

contamination Contamination is the presence of a constituent, impurity, or some other undesirable element that renders something unsuitable, unfit or harmful for the physical body, natural environment, workplace, etc. Types of contamination Within the scien ...

References

External links

Conference proceedings of the ASM International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis (ISTFA)
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IEEE International Symposium on the Physical and Failure Analysis of Integrated Circuits (IPFA)
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Mobile robot based nanoprober for SEMPython scriptable nanoprober
Electronic engineering Nanoelectronics Semiconductor analysis