Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy for Semiconductor Device Characterization

At EAG Laboratories, we analyze many different types of nanoengineered materials for researchers from the industry, national labs, and governmental agencies. For silicon devices, virtually all the critical materials problems are at the interfaces. STEM-EELS hyperspectral mapping is a powerful technique for studying materials' structure and chemistry down to atomic resolution. The industry widely employs it for materials characterization and failure analysis. With a state-of-the-art TEM, it is possible to squeeze nA of current in a sub-Å STEM probe, which unfortunately can damage semiconductor and dielectric materials rapidly. Thus, a fast EELS spectrometer that enables short pixel dwelling time with fast readout is highly desired. The recent introduction of GIF Continuum® effectively improves the spatial resolution for the analysis of nanodevices. In this talk, we will use STEM-EELS analysis on a 3D-NAND device as an example to highlight the recent progress.

Presenter: Peng Zhang, Vice President of Business Development, Eurofins EAG Laboratories, Sunnyvale, California