News Article
FEI makes TEM sample prep that much easier
Two new tools for 100mm and 300mm wafers will hopefully make TEM sample preparation not so hit and miss
Semiconductor equipment maker FEI has revealed the Helios NanoLab DualBeam system for engineers that need to make vital process improvement decisions.
The firm says its 450HP and 1200HP DualBeam systems have new capabilities that meet the critical requirements for semiconductor process development.
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is invaluable in determining dislocation density, thickness, microstructural and failure analysis and interface quality.
TEM has been extensively used in the past to look at interface quality in III-V semiconductors and is used by many research institutes and universities.
FEI says its latest additions will make TEM sample preparation a lot easier than its predecessors; in the past, TEM sample prep used to be a laborious process and even when you had a thin enough sample, it may have been in the wrong area of the wafer. This often made it very frustrating. But once you had a decent sample, it was well worth the effort as you could see things you wouldn't using any other technique.
“Developing new processes and technologies that include shrinking geometries, new materials and novel device architectures and ramping those processes to high-volume production quickly are driving unprecedented increases in the demand for TEM analysis,” says Rudy Kellner, vice president and general manager, Electronics Business Unit, FEI.
“TEM samples must be ultra-thin, of the highest quality, and generated in a routine and consistent manner across a fleet of tools. Typically, as samples get thinner, the difficulty becomes time to results, operator skill level and subtle differences among equipment. We have designed the 450HP and 1200HP systems to overcome these issues. Ultimately, the system’s ability to yield more good samples at double the throughput allows for potentially significant reductions for both the time-to-answer and the cost-per-answer.”
The Helios NanoLab 450HP and 1200HP DualBeam systems can prepare 15nm thick samples with less than a 2nm damage layer in 90 minutes. FEI says this is twice as fast as competitive alternatives. iFast automation software maximises ease-of-use while ensuring consistency among multiple operators and systems.
QuickFlip grid holders facilitate inverted sample preparation to improve sample quality while maintaining high throughput. Cell Navigation software allows automated navigation within non-unique memory arrays that can locate a single designated bit cell in a 50nm lateral field. Together, these features enable a robust process to prepare high quality, ultra-thin lamella across multiple tools in a consistent manner - independent of operator, a major factor.
The Helios NanoLab 450HP and 1200HP DualBeam systems are available for ordering immediately. The 450HP model can accommodate samples up to 100mm, while the 1200HP system can handle full 300mm wafers.
