IBIC imaging of buried structures of semiconductor devices is carried out with a scanned focussed MeV ion beam. The large range of these ions allows direct imaging of sub- surface through passivation layers, a feature not available to the well established EBIC technique. As multi-level designs become more prevalent this deep penetration is a significant advantage. The nuclear microscope is briefly described here. Recent examples of the IBIC analysis of CMOS and diffused junction devices are given, and the degradation of IBIC images with increasing ion dose is discussed. It is demonstrated that contrast is present in IBIC images even from junctions not directly connected to the preamplifier. The production of significant charge signals from unconnected junctions allows the imaging of such junctions, a highly desirable feature in the case of complex microcircuits. The contrast from unconnected junctions vanishes if these junctions are shortened, as will be shown.

Date Published: 18 August 1997
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 3184, Microelectronic Packaging and Laser Processing, (18 August 1997); doi: 10.1117/12.280557

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3184:
Microelectronic Packaging and Laser Processing
Yong Khim Swee; HongYu Zheng; Ray T. Chen, Editor(s)