A new low-voltage contrast mechanism to image local defects in very thin silicon dioxide films: true oxide electron beam induced current

Author

Lau, W.S. ; Chan, D.S.H. ; Phang, J.C.H. ; Chow, K.W. ; Pey, K.S. ; Lim, Y.P. ; Cronquist, B.

Author_Institution

Fac. of Eng., Nat. Univ. of Singapore, Singapore

fYear

1993

Firstpage

190

Lastpage

198

Abstract

A low-voltage contrast mechanism due to electron-hole pairs generated in the oxide by an electron beam was observed at electric fields lower than 3.5 MV/cm. This is in addition to the tunneling current microscopy (TCM) contrast mechanism observed at electric fields higher than 3.5 MV/cm. The new contrast mechanism is opposite in sign to the TCM contrast mechanism such that the image of a local thinning defect in the oxide is dark at low bias voltage and bright at higher bias voltage. Good contrast can be obtained at an electric field as low as 2.4 MV/cm. Potential applications include large area imaging of oxide defects and quantitative mapping of oxide thickness.<>

Keywords

EBIC; crystal defects; electron beam effects; insulating thin films; silicon compounds; solid-state plasma; SiO/sub 2/ thin films; bias voltage; electron beam induced current; electron-hole pairs; large area imaging; local defects; local thinning defect; low-voltage contrast mechanism; tunneling current microscopy; Charge carrier processes; Copper; Electron beams; Failure analysis; Liquid crystals; Scanning electron microscopy; Semiconductor films; Silicon compounds; Substrates; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Reliability Physics Symposium, 1993. 31st Annual Proceedings., International

Conference_Location

Atlanta, GA, USA

Print_ISBN

0-7803-0782-8

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/RELPHY.1993.283325

Filename

283325