Andrew R. Schwartz

Principles of Near-Field Microwave Microscopy

Near-field microwave microscopy is concerned with quantitative measurement of the microwave electrodynamic response of materials on length scales far shorter than the free-space wavelength of the radiation. Here we review the basic concepts of near-field interactions between a source and sample, present an historical introduction to work in the field, and discuss a novel quantitative modeling approach to interpreting near-field microwave images. We discuss the spatial resolution and a number of concrete applications of near-field microwave microscopy to materials property measurements, as well as future prospects for new types of microscopy.

A near-field scanned microwave probe for spatially localized electrical metrology

We have developed a near-field scanned microwave probe with a sampling volume of approximately 10μm in diameter, which is the smallest one achieved in near-field microwave microscopy. This volume is defined to confine >99% of the probe’s net sampling reactive energy, thus making the response virtually independent of the sample properties outside of this region. The probe is formed by a 4GHz balanced stripline resonator tapered down to a few-micrometer tip size and provides noncontact, noninvasive measurement capability. It is uniquely suited for spatially localized electrical metrology applications, such as evaluation of Cu/low-k interconnects on semiconductor production wafers.

Determination of the magnetization scaling exponent for single-crystal La 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3 by broadband microwave surface impedance measurements

Employing a broadband microwave reflection configuration, we have measured the complex surface impedance,

Magnetic permeability imaging of metals with a scanning near-field microwave microscope

{Z}_{S}(\ensuremath{\omega},T),

Near-Field Scanning Microwave Microscope for Interline Capacitance Characterization of Nanoelectronics Interconnect

of single-crystal

Noncontact dielectric constant metrology of low-k interconnect films using a near-field scanned microwave probe

{\mathrm{La}}_{0.8}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.2}{\mathrm{MnO}}_{3},

Near-field microwave microscope with improved sensitivity and spatial resolution

as a function of frequency

Noncontact electrical metrology of Cu/low-k interconnect for semiconductor production wafers

(0.045\char21{}45 \mathrm{GHz})

A Microfabricated Near-Field Scanned Microwave Probe for Noncontact Dielectric Constant Metrology of Low-k Films

and temperature

Novel Non‐contact Dielectric Constant Metrology for Low‐k Films

(250\char21{}325 \mathrm{K}).