From the Store Shelf to Device-Level Atom Probe Analysis: An Exercise in Feasibility

Abstract

Abstract There are many opportunities in semiconductor processing where atom probe tomography (APT) analysis of a finished product is desirable; competitive analysis and failure analysis are two good examples, and only recently have APT results been obtained from fully processed "off-the-shelf" transistor structures that are part of a finished product. This paper explores the feasibility of APT analysis for fully packaged integrated-circuit microelectronic devices by detailing the various options available in specimen preparation and the resulting analyses. The goal of this work is to take an off-the-shelf microelectronics product and perform APT analysis on various device-level components. This work demonstrates that a wealth of high quality information may be obtained from site-specific APT analysis of post-production microelectronic devices. The yield of useful results from such analyses has not yet been determined, but the small number of specimens analyses (four) yielded quality results in the first attempt.