Devices, Materials, and Processes for Nanoelectronics: Characterization with Advanced X‐Ray Techniques Using Lab‐Based and Synchrotron Radiation Sources

Abstract

Future nanoelectronics manufacturing at extraordinary length scales, new device structures, and advanced materials will provide challenges to process development and engineering but also to process control and physical failure analysis. Advanced X‐ray techniques, using lab systems and synchrotron radiation sources, will play a key role for the characterization of thin films, nanostructures, surfaces, and interfaces. The development of advanced X‐ray techniques and tools will reduce risk and time for the introduction of new technologies. Eventually, time‐to‐market for new products will be reduced by the timely implementation of the best techniques for process development and process control. The development and use of advanced methods at synchrotron radiation sources will be increasingly important, particularly for research and development in the field of advanced processes and new materials but also for the development of new X‐ray components and procedures. The application of advanced X‐ray techniques, in‐line, in out‐of‐fab analytical labs and at synchrotron radiation sources, for research, development, and manufacturing in the nanoelectronics industry is reviewed. The focus of this paper is on the study of nanoscale device and on‐chip interconnect materials, and materials for 3D IC integration as well.

Efficient focusing of 8 keV X-rays with multilayer Fresnel zone plates fabricated by atomic layer deposition and focused ion beam milling

“…X-ray microscopy is an invaluable tool for many scientific and technological fields such as, for instance, material (Zschech et al, 2011), environmental (Brown & Sturchio, 2002) and life sciences (Lewis, 1997;Fouras et al, 2009). The utilization of focused X-rays has spread continuously over recent decades and includes applications such as imaging, chemical analysis (Sakdinawat & Attwood, 2010) and time-resolved investigation by exploiting pulses of synchrotron radiation (Kammerer et al, 2011;Van Waeyenberge et al, 2006;Saes et al, 2003).…”

Ion beam lithography for Fresnel zone plates in X-ray microscopy

“…As for FZPs, studies towards a further simplification of the method and improved resolutions are underway. Considering the emergence of new X-ray sources and the related potential further expansion of X-ray microscopy both at large facilities and in the laboratories [5,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13], IBL represent a promising alternative for the simplified preparation of Fresnel Zone Plates.…”

“…Over the years it has established as one of the preferred methods to characterize the microstructure, the composition or the magnetic structure of a wide variety of entire samples in their natural environment [1][2][3][4]. Developments in the last decades have been characterized by the introduction of new X-ray sources of high brilliance [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] and by a substantial increase of the achievable spatial resolutions [14][15][16][17]. These improvements suggest and support an even expanded utilization of X-ray microscopy in the future, both at large facilities [6] and in laboratories [5,11].…”

Multilayer Fresnel zone plates for high energy radiation resolve 21 nm features at 12 keV

“…X-ray microscopy brings new insights to materials researchers from different fields by adding either a 3rd spatial [1,2] or a temporal [3,4] dimension to materials analysis, both at very high resolution. To carry out either scanning or full-field transmission microscopy with X-rays, one has to focus the radiation in some way; yet focusing of especially hard X-rays (HXR), to nano-sized spots, is no easy task.…”