Electron and ion beam induced current in MOS 1C analysis

Abstract

The electron beam induced current (EBIC) mode of the scanning electron microscope as well as the ion beam induced current (IBIC) mode of nuclear microprobes have been used for metal oxide silicon (MOS) IC observation. Two types of specimens have been investigated: standard n-channel MOS ICs and CMOS ICs. The techniques give useful information about the doped regions (such as source and drain regions of MOS transistors), as well as about some important dimensions (such as the channel length of a MOS transistor). Additional information from IBIC images of individual MOS transistors, not obtainable in the EBIC analysis only, was detected. The information gathered in the EBIC and IBIC analysis was found to depend on the experimental conditions. The sensitivity of the specimen to ion beam damage was found to be less than expected; no significant change in image quality was discernable after an observation of over 1 h.