SBIR Phase II: Integrated Nano-Electro-Mechanical Scanning Probes for Failure Analysis of the 10-Nanometer Node and Beyond

SBIR 第二阶段：用于 10 纳米及以上节点故障分析的集成纳米机电扫描探针

• 批准号: 1632534
• 负责人: Kwame Amponsah
• 金额: $ 75万
• 依托单位: Xallent LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-10-01 至 2021-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1632534&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Integrated; Nano

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop and commercialize a breakthrough suite of probes and probing platforms for the imaging and probing of semiconductor devices and thin film materials at scales below 100 nm, where conventional techniques are challenged. The resulting products will allow customers to perform a rich range of tests at the nano-scale at costs and times that are a small fraction of those required for conventional platforms such as scanning electron microscopes (SEM), scanning probe microscopes (SPM), and a range of automated test equipment (ATE) based on these technologies. Miniaturization across a range of sectors is driving the development of devices and materials at increasingly minute length scales. Multiple large-scale trends including mobile devices and the internet-of-things are driving an unprecedented volume of engineering at the nanoscale. Much of this is now dependent on the single-tip SPM that has evolved into a broad array of instruments for the analysis of physical, chemical and electrical properties, and to detect and isolate flaws. The Multiple Integrated Tips (MiT) technology that is the focus of this effort takes a radically different approach to enable an even richer range of tests at length scales below one micron, with a faster, simpler and much more cost-effective platform. Given a large install-base of capital equipment, we are focused on probes coupled with adapters that plug into the most popular SEMs and SPMs. These probes significantly expand the functionality of existing systems, and do this with low barriers to acceptance given modest price points and seamless integration into standard industry platforms. A portfolio of probes will be developed to address high-volume needs across the semiconductor and thin film markets, starting with 4-tip devices for the electrical characterization of thin films, and configurable or non-configurable 3-4-tip devices for probing integrated circuits. These will be offered in a variety of sizes and geometries, currently from hundreds of nm to 65 nm, and extending below 10 nanometers within a year. In Phase II, probe functionality will be enhanced to enable coupled imaging and probing with design to operate in AFM mode. The portfolio of products will be continuously expanded to additional two- and three-dimensional geometries via co-development with lighthouse customers.

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将开发并商业化一套突破性的探针和探测平台，用于100 nm以下规模的半导体器件和薄膜材料的成像和探测，传统技术受到挑战。由此产生的产品将使客户能够在纳米尺度上进行丰富的测试，其成本和时间是传统平台所需的一小部分，如扫描电子显微镜（SEM），扫描探针显微镜（SPM）和一系列基于这些技术的自动测试设备（ATE）。一系列领域的小型化正在推动设备和材料以越来越微小的长度尺度发展。包括移动的设备和物联网在内的多种大规模趋势正在推动纳米级工程的空前发展。这在很大程度上取决于单尖端SPM，它已经发展成为一系列广泛的仪器，用于分析物理，化学和电气特性，并检测和隔离缺陷。作为这项工作重点的多集成尖端（MiT）技术采用了一种完全不同的方法，以更快、更简单、更具成本效益的平台，在1微米以下的长度尺度上实现更丰富的测试范围。鉴于资本设备的安装基数很大，我们专注于探头与适配器，插入到最流行的SEM和SPM。这些探测器显著扩展了现有系统的功能，并且在价格适中的情况下实现了低接受障碍，并无缝集成到标准行业平台中。将开发一系列探针以满足半导体和薄膜市场的大批量需求，从用于薄膜电气特性的4尖端设备开始，以及用于探测集成电路的可配置或非可配置3-4尖端设备。 这些将以各种尺寸和几何形状提供，目前从数百纳米到65纳米，并在一年内扩展到10纳米以下。 在第二阶段，探针功能将得到增强，以实现耦合成像和探测与设计，以在AFM模式下操作。产品组合将通过与Lighthouse客户的共同开发不断扩展到更多的二维和三维几何形状。