Abstract This work employs an easy-to-use method to quickly find and characterize leakage currents on a semiconductor sample by combining electrical fault isolation and electrical measurements. By using a simple add-on for a probing system’s tip holders, a prober is transformed into a scanning device that measures currents through a sample’s surface and visualizes the currents in a 2D color map that can be superimposed onto the SE image. As a case study, an area of 1.5 µm x 1.5 µm of a 3 nm device was scanned while the current through the contacts was measured and visualized with Current Imaging (CI) and gate currents were characterized. One leaking gate could be identified and the position of the failure was localized using Electron Beam Induced Resistance CHange (EBIRCH) imaging. This technique also avoids any damage caused by electron beam irradiation as the beam can be switched off during scanning.

This work employs an easy-to-use method to quickly find and characterize leakage currents on a semiconductor sample by combining electrical fault isolation and physical failure analysis. By using a simple add-on for a probing system's tip holders, a prober is transformed into a scanning device that measures currents through a sample's surface and visualizes the currents in a 2D color map that can be superimposed onto the SE image. As a case study, an area of 1.5 mu m x 1.5 mu m of a 3 nm device was scanned while the current through the contacts was measured and visualized with Current Imaging (CI) and gate currents were characterized. One leaking gate could be identified and the position of the failure localized using Electron Beam Induced Resistance CHange (EBIRCH) imaging. This technique also avoids any damage caused by electron beam irradiation as the beam can be switched off during scanning.

Current advances in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) workflows are accelerating progress in many research fields.In materials investigations, cooling specimen halts aging, allows studying phase transitions, and enables new methods such as cryo-atom probe tomography.In life sciences, cryo-EM allows unprecedented structural investigation without denaturation.Some nanomaterials and biological molecules can be prepared for cryo-EM with minimal effort.Single cells can also be plunge frozen directly on TEM grids.However, bulk materials and high-pressure frozen samples require additional sample preparation.Lift-out preparation with a cryo-focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) is the method of choice because of its site-specificity.A lamella containing the region of interest is excavated, removed from the bulk with a manipulator, and then attached to a TEM grid for further thinning and observation.In conventional FIB preparation, ion beam-induced deposition (IBID) of precursor gases is used to attach the lamella to the manipulator probe and the TEM grid.This process is slow, error-prone, and does not work at low temperatures.Instead, cryo-FIB uses a similar approach where gas is introduced into the microscope chamber to freeze the lamella to the probe and the TEM grid.In addition to poor reliability, both methods require frequent probe replacement since the probe tip has to be cut with the focused ion beam to release the lamella after lift-out.An alternative to IBID deposition is an actuated gripper that reversibly grabs the lamella for lift-out.This work presents a novel piezo-actuated micro gripper that operates at cryogenic temperatures and the streamlined sample preparation workflow it enables.

Electrical characterization of small technology nodes is essential in failure analysis and yield improvement. The currently available nodes exhibit contacts having diameters of less than 30 nm. We investigated the influence of the contact resistance between the samples’ contacts and the probe tips placed on contacts of various technology nodes (14 nm, 10 nm, 7 nm and 5 nm) by using a 6-point measurement and applied a simple correction to the transistor curves based on these measurements. The analysis shows that contact resistances may be dominant even if all employed components are clean and that using five or six tips to characterize a transistor provides more accurate results with minimal additional effort.

This article discusses the challenges associated with nanoprobing advanced technology node devices and explains how to optimize SEM images for beam voltages of 100 eV or less.

Locating `soft' faults resulting from minor variations in resistance can be difficult using EBAC or RCI. Here, the authors explore the use of Electron Beam Induced Voltage for addressing these issues.

Cryo-focused ion beam milling of frozen hydrated cells for the production of thin lamellas in combination with cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) has yielded unprecedented insights into the cell interior. This method allows access to native structures deep inside cells, enabling structural studies of macromolecules in situ . However, it is only suitable for cells that can be vitrified by plunge freezing (<10 μm). Multicellular organisms and tissues are considerably thicker and high-pressure freezing is required to ensure optimal preservation. Here, we describe a preparation method for extracting lamellas from high pressure frozen samples with a new cryo-gripper tool. This in situ lift-out technique at cryo-temperatures enables cryo-ET to be performed on multicellular organisms and tissue, extending the range of applications for in situ structural biology.

Cryo-focused ion beam milling of frozen-hydrated cells has recently provided unprecedented insights into the inner space of cells. In combination with cryo-electron tomography, this method allows access to native structures deep inside cells, enabling structural studies of macromolecules in situ. However, this approach has been mainly limited to individual cells that can be completely vitrified by plunge-freezing. Here, we describe a preparation method that is based on the targeted extraction of material from high-pressure-frozen bulk specimens with a cryo-gripper tool. This lift-out technique enables cryo-electron tomography to be performed on multicellular organisms and tissue, extending the range of applications for in situ structural biology. We demonstrate the potential of the lift-out technique with a structural study of cytosolic 80S ribosomes in a Caenorhabditis elegans worm. The preparation quality allowed for subtomogram analysis with sufficient resolution to distinguish individual ribosomal translocation states and revealed significant cell-to-cell variation in ribosome structure.

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Electron beam absorbed current (EBAC) has been used to isolate defects in BEOL metal stacks. With the increasing layout complexity, metal signal lines often run over 100um area and over multiple metal stacks. This makes SEM inspections during polishing tedious, time consuming and easy to overlook the defect. With the EBAC technique, it often shows the entire routing of the signal line with additional or absence that can pinpoint or narrow the location of the defects. In this paper, we will show how the Kleindiek system is used to perform the EBAC technique and locate the BEOL defect.

Journal Article Cryo-FIB Lift-out Sample Preparation Using a Novel Cryo-gripper Tool Get access Andrew J Smith, Andrew J Smith Kleindiek Nanotechnik GmbH, MarkwiesenstraBe 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Tim Laugks, Tim Laugks Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Stephan Kleindiek, Stephan Kleindiek Kleindiek Nanotechnik GmbH, MarkwiesenstraBe 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Sahradha Albert, Sahradha Albert Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar William HJ Wood, William HJ Wood University of Sheffield, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Matthew P Johnson, Matthew P Johnson University of Sheffield, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Benjamin D Engel, Benjamin D Engel Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Wolfgang Baumeister, Wolfgang Baumeister Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Juergen M Plitzko, Juergen M Plitzko Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Miroslava Schaffer Miroslava Schaffer Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Microscopy and Microanalysis, Volume 23, Issue S1, 1 July 2017, Pages 844–845, https://doi.org/10.1017/S1431927617004883 Published: 04 August 2017

Journal Article In Situ Nanoprobing Tools for Fault Localization and Defect Characterization Get access Andrew J Smith, Andrew J Smith Kleindiek Nanotechnik, Reutlingen, Germany Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Andreas Rummel, Andreas Rummel Kleindiek Nanotechnik, Reutlingen, Germany Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Matthias Kemmler, Matthias Kemmler Kleindiek Nanotechnik, Reutlingen, Germany Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Klaus Schock, Klaus Schock Kleindiek Nanotechnik, Reutlingen, Germany Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Stephan Kleindiek Stephan Kleindiek Kleindiek Nanotechnik, Reutlingen, Germany Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Microscopy and Microanalysis, Volume 23, Issue S1, 1 July 2017, Pages 1432–1433, https://doi.org/10.1017/S1431927617007826 Published: 04 August 2017

We have investigated a new method to repair a broken bonding wire on a semiconductor device inside a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). This approach makes use of a microsoldering unit that is mounted on a micromanipulator and can be heated up to 200 degrees C and a small heating stage on which a sample is mounted. A microgripper is used to bring the broken bonding wire to its original place and a special solder is used to make a low ohmic connection between the broken contacts. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

We have investigated two new methods to establish an electrically conductive interconnection between two contacts on a semiconductor device inside a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Both methods use a nanowire that is transported to the contacts. The first interconnection is made using a glue that can be hardened inside the SEM to fix the nanowires at the contacts. The other approach makes use of a microsoldering unit that is mounted on a micromanipulator and can be heated up to 200 °C. A special solder is used to make a low ohmic connection between the contacts.

Article Achieving Fast and Reliable TEM-Sample Lift-out and Transfer Using Novel Materials and Novel in-situ Tools was published on May 1, 2009 in the journal Practical Metallography (volume 46, issue 5).