Home Electron tomography of microelectronic device interconnects
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Electron tomography of microelectronic device interconnects

  • Qing Yang , John Mardinly , Christian Kübel , Chris Nelson and Christian Kisielowski EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: February 12, 2022
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill

Abstract

As the dimensions of microelectronic devices continue to decrease, single transmission electron microscopy images are not able to properly represent the 3D structures when the structure’s curvature is comparable to the sample thickness. Electron tomography was used to study cylindrical vias coated with Ta-barrier layers and Cu-seed layers in 3D. Tomography reconstructions from both bright field images and high angle annular dark field images are presented. Fidelity of the reconstruction from single-axis and dual-axis tilt series is compared. Strategies for improving the fidelity of the reconstruction and making electron tomography practically applicable for device failure analysis of microelectronic industry are discussed.


Dedicated to Professor Dr. Knut Urban on the occasion of his 65th birthday



Dr. Christian Kisielowski National Center of Election Mocroscopy Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, CA 94720, USA Tel.: +1 510 486 4716 Fax: +1 510 486 5888

Funding statement: This work was partially supported by the Director, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC03-76SF00098

References

[1] J. Frank: Three-dimensional Electron Microscopy of Macromolecular Assemblies, Academic Press, San Diego (1996).10.1016/B978-012265040-6/50002-3Search in Google Scholar

[2] P.W. Hawkes, in: J. Frank (Ed.), The electron microscope as a structure projector, Plenum Press, New York, London (1992).10.1007/978-1-4757-2163-8_2Search in Google Scholar

[3] S. Bals, V. Radmilovic, Q.Yang, C. Kisielowski: Materials Research in an Aberration Free Environment, Microscop. & Microanal. 2004, Pre-Congress Meeting, July 31 to August 1, 2004, Savannah, Georgia.Search in Google Scholar

[4] P.A. Midgley, M. Weyland: Ultramicrosc. 96 (2003) 413.10.1016/S0304-3991(03)00105-0Search in Google Scholar

[5] J. Carazo, in: J. Frank (Ed.), Fidelity of 3D reconstructions, Plenum Press, New York, London (1992).Search in Google Scholar

[6] P. Penczek, M. Marko, K. Buttle, J. Frank: Ultramicrosc. 60 (1995) 393.10.1016/0304-3991(95)00078-XSearch in Google Scholar

[7] D.N. Mastronarde: J. Struct. Biol. 120 (1997) 343.10.1006/jsbi.1997.3919Search in Google Scholar

[8] J. Mardinly: The effect of Moores’ Law on the growing role of transmission electron microscopy in the semiconductor industry, Proc. Microscop. & Microanal. 2001 Meeting, Long Beach (2001).10.1017/S1431927600028622Search in Google Scholar

[9] H. Stegmann, H. Engelmann, E. Zschech: Microelectronic Eng. 65 (2003) 171.10.1016/S0167-9317(02)00849-3Search in Google Scholar

[10] J.R. Jinschek, H.A. Calderon, K.J. Batenburg, V. Radmilovic, C. Kisielowski: Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 839 (2005) P4.5.1.10.1557/PROC-839-P4.5Search in Google Scholar

[11] M. Haider, H. Rose, S. Uhlemann, E. Schwan, B. Kabius, K. Urban: Ultramicrosc. 75 (1998) 53.10.1016/S0304-3991(98)00048-5Search in Google Scholar

[12] O.L. Krivanek, N. Dellby, A.R. Lupini: Ultramicroscopy 78 (1999) 1.10.1016/S0304-3991(99)00013-3Search in Google Scholar

[13] W.M.J. Coene, A. Thust, M. Op de Beeck, D. Van Dyck: Ultramicrosc. 64 (1996) 109.10.1016/0304-3991(96)00010-1Search in Google Scholar

[14] A. Thust, W.M.J. Coene, M. Op de Beeck, D. Van Dyck: Ultramicrosc. 64 (1996) 211.10.1016/0304-3991(96)00011-3Search in Google Scholar

[15] M. Guchenberger: Ultramicrosc. 9 (1982) 167.10.1016/0304-3991(82)90239-XSearch in Google Scholar

[16] J. Frank, B.F. McEwen, in: J. Frank (Ed.), Alignment by cross-correlation, Electron Tomography: Three-dimensional Imaging with the Transmission Electron Microscope, Plenum Press, New York, London (1992).10.1007/978-1-4757-2163-8_9Search in Google Scholar

[17] Y. Liu, Pawel A. Penczek, B.F. McEwen, J. Frank: Ultramicrosc. 58 (1995) 393.10.1016/0304-3991(95)00006-MSearch in Google Scholar

[18] S. Brandt, J. Heikkonen, P. Engelhardt: J. Struct. Biol. 136 (2001) 201.10.1006/jsbi.2001.4443Search in Google Scholar PubMed

[19] C. Kübel, A. Voigt, R. Schoenmakers, M. Otten, D. Su, T.-C. Lee, A. Carlsson, J. Bradley: Microsc. Microanal. 11 (2005) 378.10.1017/S1431927605050361Search in Google Scholar PubMed

[20] J. Tong, P. Midgley: Journal of Physics: Conference Series 26 (2006) 33.10.1088/1742-6596/26/1/008Search in Google Scholar

[21] K.J. Batenburg: Electronic Notes in Discrete Mathematics 20 (2005) 247.10.1016/j.endm.2005.05.067Search in Google Scholar

[22] C. Kübel, S. Kujawa, J.-S. Luo, H.-M.Lo, J.D.Russel, in: E. Zschech, K. Maex, P.S. Ho, H.Kawasaki, T. Nakamura (Eds.), AIPConference Proceedings 817, American Institute of Physics, Melville, New York (2006) 223.Search in Google Scholar

Received: 2006-01-18
Accepted: 2006-04-27
Published Online: 2022-02-12

© 2006 Carl Hanser Verlag, München

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Editorial
  3. Professor Dr. Knut Urban 65 Years
  4. Basic
  5. Ordering processes and atomic defects in FeCo
  6. Atomic resolution electron tomography: a dream?
  7. Electron tomography of microelectronic device interconnects
  8. Aberration correction in electron microscopy
  9. Off-axis electron holography: Materials analysis at atomic resolution
  10. Determination of phases of complex scattering amplitudes and two-particle structure factors by investigating diffractograms of thin amorphous foils
  11. Prospects of the multislice method for CBED pattern calculation
  12. Electron energy-loss spectrometry for metals:some thoughts beyond microanalysis
  13. Quantitative assessment of nanoparticle size distributions from HRTEM images
  14. Quantitative microstructural and spectroscopic investigation of inversion domain boundaries in sintered zinc oxide ceramics doped with iron oxide
  15. Structural domains in antiferromagnetic LaFeO3 thin films
  16. Short-range order of liquid Ti72.3Fe27.7 investigated by a combination of neutron scattering and X-ray diffraction
  17. Extended interfacial structure between two asymmetrical facets of a Σ = 9 grain boundary in copper
  18. Dislocation imaging in fcc colloidal single crystals
  19. Applied
  20. Omega phase transformation – morphologies and mechanisms
  21. Mixed (Sr1 − xCax)33Bi24Al48O141 fullerenoids: the defect structure analysed by (S)TEM techniques
  22. Wetting of aluminium-based complex metallic alloys
  23. Annealing-induced phase transitions in a Zr–Ti–Nb–Cu–Ni–Al bulk metallic glass matrix composite containing quasicrystalline precipitates
  24. Special planar defects in the structural complex metallic alloys of Al–Pd–Mn and Al–Ni–Rh
  25. On the formation of Si nanowires by molecular beam epitaxy
  26. Self-induced oscillations in Si and other semiconductors
  27. Growth, interface structure, and magnetic properties of Fe/GaAs and Fe3Si/GaAs hybrid systems
  28. An investigation of improved titanium/titanium nitride barriers for submicron aluminum-filled contacts by energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy
  29. Radiation damage during HRTEM studies in pure Al and Al alloys
  30. Cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy at Mo/Si multilayer stacks
  31. Structural properties of the fiber –matrix interface in carbon-fiber/carbon-matrix composites and interfaces between carbon layers and planar substrates
  32. Microstructure and properties of surface-treated Timetal 834
  33. Notifications
  34. Personal
  35. Conferences
Downloaded on 2.12.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/ijmr-2006-0142/pdf?lang=en
Scroll to top button