26 May 2015

Park launches high-vacuum SSRM AFM system for failure analysis

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) system maker Park Systems Corp of Suwon, South Korea has launched NX-Hivac, which is claimed to be the only high-vacuum AFM system on the market that meets the current and future needs for failure analysis in semiconductor manufacturing.

The NX-Hivac is suitable for academic and industrial customers interested in failure analysis solutions in highly doped semiconductor processing where more highly sophisticated failure analysis tools are now required.

The high-vacuum scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM) of the NX-Hivac enables two-dimensional (2D) carrier profiling of next-generation devices and measures the high-resolution SSRM image under high-vacuum conditions to minimize sample-tip damage and improve production yield. The NX-Hivac is very sensitive and responsive to the current signal, yielding accurate measurement and repeatability, says the firm.

"The ever shrinking nanoscale geometries of semiconductor devices require sophisticated failure analysis tools," says president Keibock Lee. "Our customer-centric engineering and product development team is focused on failure analysis solutions for the manufacturing environment that ultimately facilitates the advancement of nanoscale production," he adds. The NX-Hivac was designed in collaboration with "a major semiconductor IC producer".  

Designed with the capability for multiple sample loading (up to 5), the Park NX-Hivac can also measure a wide dynamic range of dopant concentration (7 decades). Other features include a fast signal response even at the range of insulator–metal where conductance is changing dramatically. A significant advantage of the NX-Hivac is that the high-vacuum SSRM measurement shows much higher sensitivity and resolution than under ambient conditions, says the firm. This is due to the applied force between the tip and sample under ambient or dry nitrogen conditions being four times higher than in a vacuum. The low force required reduces the strain of thin films of target samples, giving higher spatial resolution, resulting in longer tip life and increased productivity, says the firm.

The complete NX-Hivac system includes Park's unique design features such as a closed-loop XY scanner for accurate zoom-in imaging, low noise ratio (0.30Å, even when the vacuum pump is on), increased tip lifetime, and the reliability of guaranteed repeatability. Special features such as software control for automatic pumping and venting, motorized laser alignment and high-resolution axis-optics enhance ease of use for the operator, adds the firm. 

Tags: AFM

Visit: http://www.parkAFM.com