The scanning capacitance microscope ͑SCM͒ is a carrier-sensitive imaging tool based upon the well-known scanning-probe microscope ͑SPM͒. As reported in Edwards et al. ͓Appl. Phys. Lett. 72, 698 ͑1998͔͒, scanning capacitance spectroscopy ͑SCS͒ is a new data-taking method employing an SCM. SCS produces a two-dimensional map of the electrical pn junctions in a Si device and also provides an estimate of the depletion width. In this article, we report a series of microelectronics applications of SCS in which we image submicron transistors, Si bipolar transistors, and shallow-trench isolation structures. We describe two failure-analysis applications involving submicron transistors and shallow-trench isolation. We show a process-development application in which SCS provides microscopic evidence of the physical origins of the narrow-emitter effect in Si bipolar transistors. We image the depletion width in a Si bipolar transistor to explain an electric field-induced hot-carrier reliability failure. We show two sample geometries that can be used to examine different device properties.

We report the design of a low inductance park gap switch for Blumlein-driven lasers which is highly reliable under conditions of high repetition rate and high average power. The reported spark gap has provided reproducible pulse waveforms without maintenance for 108 shots in a Blumlein-driven nitrogen laser. When operated with a nitrogen–SF6 mixture in the laser tube, this laser provided peak powers in excess of 3 MW at 5-Hz repetition rate and an average power of 0.5 W at 120-Hz repetition rate.

Quantitative two-dimensional (2D) dopant profiling for 0.25 micron CMOS technology was demonstrated using secondary ion mass-spectrometry (SIMS) and scanning capacitance spectroscopy (SCS). P-well and N-well dopant profiles measured by 2D SIMS are in agreement with TSUPREM4 (TS4) simulations. TS4 was pre-calibrated to the specific technology using 1D SIMS and electrical data. 2D SIMS, TS4 and SCS show agreement on the well boundary location. SCS is an advanced form of scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) devised for pn-junction delineation. 2D SIMS dopant profiling with lateral resolution of 10 nm (limited by the lithography pixel size) and sensitivity of 1~1 0 '~ cm" was realized on commercial equipment. \ IntroductionThe goal of this study is to demonstrate capabilities of recently developed two-dimensional (2D) secondary ion mass-spectrometry (SIMS) and scanning capacitance spectroscopy (SCS) techniques for quantitative 2D dopant analysis. SIMS is the only doping characterization technique that directly measures dopant concentration. 2D SIMS was invented by Hill, Dowsett and Cooke (1) and improved lately by using a MoirC pattern design for the test structure (2).

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