Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) inspection is part of routine processes of root-cause failure analysis in semiconductor foundries. There is a wide range of SEM applications for fault isolation tasks that include end-point detection during delayering processes of integrated circuits (ICs). The new TESCAN S8000 is an ideal instrument for SEM investigations and failure analysis of modern semiconductor devices due to its excellent performance at low beam energies which is essential to image beam-sensitive structures in delayered ICs. The detection system in the TESCAN S8000 provides excellent topographical contrast suitable to monitor delayering processes.
Do you want to learn more? See below on Application Example.
- SEM image at 700 eV of an IC delayered to the transistor contact layer. Topography contrast provided by the E-T detector reveals that M1 layer is not fully removed and delayering is not completed.