Nondestructive Internal Observation of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor LSI Designed by 0.8 µm Rule

Abstract

A metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS)-LSI chip was designed by the 0.8 µm rule, and a passivated film on the chip was etched off while keeping the chip mounted on a ceramic package. The acoustic signal generated by irradiation of a chopped electron beam was picked up by a piezoelectric detector (PZT element) attached to the back of the package. The results of observation by electron-acoustic microscopy (EAM) are as follows: (a) the observable depth (t x) was proportional to the electron range (R e); (b) t x shifted to a shallower side (about 50% of R e) compared to the case of bipolar transistors; (c) contact holes (0.8 µm2) were distinctly observed at HV=19 kV; and (d) the resolution of our EAM was estimated to be about 0.4 µm at a chopping frequency of the electron beam of 1 MHz and an acceleration voltage of 18–19 kV.

Non-destructive observations of small crack using scanning laser-induced acoustic microscope

“…SEAM is the observational equipment which has high resolution and can be used easily. SEAM has been successfully applied to the non-destructive observations of the delamination of an integrated circuit (Rosencwaig, 1982), interface defects of multi-layered electric chips (Takenoshita, 2000), micro-voids of sintered material (Koyama and Shibutani, 2012), and so on. However, SEAM can only observe conductive materials.…”

Non-Destructive Observations of Internal Micro-Defects Using Scanning Electron-Induced Acoustic Microscope

“…Also, it can carry out the internal observations near the surface as well as the ordinal surface observations by SEM for the exactly same region. SEAM has successfully been applied to the non-destructive observation of delamination of integrated circuit (4) , interface of multi-layered film (5) , phase transition od ceramics (6) , internal fracture of hard-coated material (7) and so on. And our own-built SEAM has provided martensitic phase transformation and grain boundary without any chemical etching (1) besides.…”