The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), a powerful and versatile analytical tool, has proven to be indispensable for characterizing semiconductor devices and materials. This paper focuses attention on the working principle of the SEM and the signals available for analysis. Techniques for applying these signals for characterization of semiconductor devices and materials are grouped into three categories: imaging, x-ray microanalysis, and electrical. Imaging techniques vary from standard quality control inspection to in-depth cross-sectional analysis which is required for technlogy development. The advantages of having energy dispersive (EDS) and wavelength dispersive (WDS) x-ray spectrometers for x-ray microanalysis are also discussed. Voltage contrast and Electron Beam Induced Current (EBIC), two electrical techniques usually used for circuit analysis, have been proven useful for semiconductor materials characterization. The SEM has been integrated into semiconductor technology development and will continue to evolve to meet the challenges of Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) processing.The scanning electron microscope (SEM) is the most versatile analytical instrument available for the characterization of semiconductor devices and materials. M In no field of physical sciences has the SEM been more productive than in the semiconductor industry; without the SEM the industry would not be nearly as advanced as it is -conversely, without the enormous economic impetus of the semiconductor industry, the sophisticated advancements in SEM instrumentation would not have come as quickly or in great a profusion as they have" (1). As very large scale integration (VLSI) technologies approach near-micron geometries, the importance of the SEM is becoming even greater as the usefulness of the optical microscope diminishes. The spatial resolution of the modern SEM (typically 40 A) approaches the resolving power of a transmission electron microscope (TEM), yet is without the difficult and time-consuming sample preparation required for TEM analysis. The typical magnification range of 10
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