Thermoreflectance microscopy applied to the study of electrostatic discharge degradation in metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors

Abstract

We investigated the effect of electrostatic discharge on n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors using the thermoreflectance microscopy. The gate terminals of the transistors were submitted to electrostatic pulses on a zap system that respects the human body model. The pulse intensity varied from 40to140V in a cumulative sequence. Electrical characterization showed that the transistor threshold voltage was no longer positive for pulses of 110V and higher. No significant changes in the thermoreflectance maps were observed in these cases. For pulses of 140V a large leakage current appeared, and the thermoreflectance maps revealed strong peaks (localized spot) associated with the induced damage.

Sensitivity enhancement in thermoreflectance microscopy of semiconductor devices using suitable probe wavelengths

“…Thermoreflectance microscopy has been used during the last decade as a suitable technique for the investigation of micro-and opto-electronic devices in operating cycle. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] It allows the determination of both heat source distribution and heat propagation properties within specific regions of micrometer devices. The technique is also useful for detecting and imaging defects.…”

“…It enables aging tests, which are a necessary step in the development of electronic devices, as well as progressive and repetitive treatments such as the application of voltage pulses intended to simulate electrostatic discharge damaging. 2 The technique has been applied in the investigation of operating telecommunication diode lasers, [3][4][5][6] transistors, [7][8][9] interconnects, 10,11 and solar cells. 12 Sensitivity and spatial resolution ensures the capability of the technique to sense temperature profile variation due to both structural differences and local surface/subsurface defects at micrometer and, in some cases, even at submicrometer scales.…”

Thermoacoustic and thermoreflectance imaging of biased integrated circuits: Voltage and temperature maps

“…[http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4959828] Photothermal reflectance microscopy has become a very well established technique for the characterization of thermal properties of materials at the micrometer scale, [1][2][3][4][5] as well as for the investigation of the heat source distribution in optoelectronic and microelectronic devices in operation. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] In the first case, the sample excitation is provided by an intensity modulated laser beam, which heats the sample through light absorption. The surface temperature of the sample is probed by a second non-modulated laser, whose intensity changes induced by variations in sample optical reflectance provoked by the periodical heating are detected by a photodiode coupled to a lock-in amplifier.…”

“…The nonmodulated probe laser beam scans the sample surface to store its thermal image. Resistive tracks, 12,15 MOSFET's, 10,11,14 solar cells, 13 and diode-lasers [6][7][8][9] were widely investigated. Joule heating is often the dominant mechanism in resistive tracks; 15 electro-reflectance and Seebeck/Peltier contributions were also reported in the devices.…”