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A new approach for Cross-Sectioning Sem Specimens of Semiconductorsby Broad-Ion Beam Milling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

K. Ogura
Affiliation:
JEOL Ltd. 1-2 Musasino 3- Chome, Akishima, Tokyo, 196, Japan
R. Alani
Affiliation:
Gatan R&D, 5933 Coronado Lane, Pleasanton, CA94588, USA.
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Extract

The cross-sectioning of semiconductor wafers for SEM studies has traditionally been carried out by tedious and laborious mechanical grinding and polishing techniques. The mechanically polished surfaces are treated using a “wet chemical” etching method to enhance and delineate certain features or layers in a given specimen. The etched specimens are then coated by conductive layers to prevent charging during SEM examination. As an alternative to “wet chemical etching”, broad-ion beam etching techniques have been developed for surface treatment of mechanically polished specimens. More specifically, we have reported [1] the utilization of a combined process of broad-ion beam etching and coating of mechanically cross sectioned semiconductors in a single vacuum chamber. As a further progress to that work, we report a rapid and reliable technique for preparing precision SEM cross sections. The technique is based on perpendicular broad-ion beam milling of cleaved wafers to expose any desired cross-section through a given feature of the specimen.

Type
Specimen Preparation
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America

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References

1Alani, R.,Mitro, R.J., Tabatt, C.M. and Malaszewski, L., in Proc. 55th. Annual Meeting of MSA, p. 363, (1997)Google Scholar