With the miniaturization and high integration of semiconductor devices,
it is becoming more and more important to evaluate with high spatial resolution and sensitivity.
Among them, there are challenges in forming uniformly shaped holes, controlling film thickness/coatability,
and reducing contamination. In order to address these issues,
it is possible to obtain more effective data by performing a combined analysis that combines various analytical methods and simulations, rather than evaluating a single method.
Examples of memory material evaluations are shown below.
Reverse engineering of DRAM in a product
The analysis of DRAM, a typical memory, is consistent from the product level to the analysis of microstructure by TEM observation.
From the appearance observation, layer analysis, and slice & view, the overall structure was grasped,
and the microstructure of the memory part was observed on TEM images.
Evaluation of contamination of electronic components by adhesive sheets
In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, various adhesive sheets such as dicing tapes are used.
The adhesive sheet may cause foreign matter or contamination.
In this case study, we introduce the results of a combined evaluation using TOF-SIMS and SWA-GC/MS,
where it is possible to identify which adhesive sheet and which layer of the adhesive sheet is responsible for the foreign matter/contamination by performing qualitative analysis of each adhesive sheet material.
In addition,SWA-GC/MS can quantitatively confirm which adhesive sheet is the least contaminated.
Evaluation of compositional distribution of ultra-thin films by Angle-Resolved XPS (ARXPS)
Angle-Resolved XPS (ARXPS) is a method to detect photoelectrons emitted by X-ray irradiation at each extraction angle and to evaluate the depth profile near the sample surface using spectra with different detection depths.
Compared to the conventional Ar ion sputtering method, this method has the advantage of improved depth resolution and no compositional changes due to selective sputtering or mixing,
and is effective for evaluating the depth profile of ultra-thin films (several nm) on substrates.
Structural analysis of amorphous SiNx films using molecular dynamics simulations
Amorphous SiNx (a-SiNx) films are used in a wide range of applications, such as gate insulators for transistors,
because the physical properties of amorphous SiNx (a-SiNx) films vary greatly from semiconductors to insulators depending on the compositional changes in the N/Si ratio and other factors.
On the other hand, there are only a few experimental methods to analyze the microscopic structure of amorphous materials at the atomic level,
so it is an effective tool to create and analyze amorphous structures with various compositions and densities by simulation.
Click here to see the power device analysis case study.