SBIR Phase I: Scanning Magnetic Microscropy for Real-time Electromigration Imaging

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is designed to demonstrate the feasibility of developing a magnetic microscopy technique for real-time imaging of electrical current densities with sub-micron resolution for the analysis of electromigration (EM) processes. EM failure remains one of the most challenging problems facing the semiconductor industry. The microscopy technique uses specially designed magnetic sensors called magnetic tunneling junctions. By non-invasively measuring and analyzing the magnetic fields generated by current-carrying elements, one can image EM processes in real-time, with high sensitivity and resolution under ambient conditions. The Phase I research will focus on two critical issues for the commercial viability of this technique: 1) the design and fabrication of sensors with low noise and high-temperature tolerance for real-time operation; 2) optimization of electronics and algorithms for application to multi-level and deep sub-micron ICs. EM-induced failure analysis remains one of the most active fields of study in the semiconductor industry. It is important to any chip manufacturer that it be able to characterize EM in real-time and on-site. The research results will have numerous potential applications in electronics-related fields including semi conductor integrated circuits and data storage.