Masahiro Sasajima

Interpretation of Energy-Filtered BSE Images at Ultra Low Voltage Conditions

1. Application Development Department, Science & Medical Systems Design Division, Hitachi High-Technologies, 1040, Ichige, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, 312-0033, Japan 2. 1st Department, Research and Development Division, Hitachi High-Technologies, 882, Ichige, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, 312-8504, Japan 3. Advanced Microscope Systems Design Department, Science & Medical Systems Design Division, Hitachi High-Technologies, 882, Ichige, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, 312-8504, Japan

High Spatial Resolution and Wide Range EDS Analysis with FE-SEM

EDS analysis with SEM is widely used for structural and elemental characterization of bulk materials. Demand for high spatial resolution EDS analysis is increasing in the fields of semiconductor devices and material engineering. Spatial resolution of EDS analysis depends strongly on the interaction volume of primary electrons and a specimen, which depends on the incident energy of the primary electrons and the composition (Z number) or the density of the specimen, because characteristic X-ray originates from approximately same volume as the interaction volume. Low accelerating voltage and STEM with thin film specimens are generally used to reduce the interaction volume and realize the high spatial resolution analysis. However, probe current and the efficiency of X-ray generation tend to be reduced in the case of low accelerating voltage, and X-ray intensity tends to be low due to the thin film specimen in the case of the STEM method. In order to resolve these problems, SDD detectors with a large sized sensor which has high detection efficiency, and “windowless” type detectors which additionally improve the detection efficiency especially for low energy X-ray have been introduced [1][2]. In this work, we demonstrate the high spatial resolution EDS analysis for some kinds of materials with the combination of FE-SEM and the windowless type EDS detector.

Sample preparation technique for the revelation of a semiconductor dopant using an FE-SEM

It is challenging to obtain the dopant profile within semiconductor devices with sufficient contrast from FIB milled cross sections due to a damage layer being formed during the milling process. In order to obtain accurate and sufficient dopant profile information, we examined FIB processing conditions and Ar ion milling conditions using a standard sample. As a result, an accelerating voltage of 40 kV for FIB processing and an accelerating voltage of 0.5 kV in Ar ion milling is the most suitable combination for observing a dopant profile clearly. We also applied an optimized preparation protocol to a commercial NMOS sample to demonstrate dopant profile visualization.

Application of a Semi-in-Lens FE-SEM to the Crystallographic Analysis with the EBSD Technique

1. Application Development Department, Science Systems Design Division, Hitachi High-Technologies, 1040, Ichige, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, 312-0033, Japan 2. Electron Microscope Systems Design 1st Department, Science Systems Design Division, Hitachi High-Technologies, 882, Ichige, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, 312-8504, Japan 3. NanoAnalysis Department, Oxford Instruments, IS Building, 3-32-42, Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 140-0002, Japan