Physical characterization challenges in 45 nm technology node

The advent of 45 nm technology poses a real challenge to device physical characterization. The shrinkage in dimension makes the characterization of some critical structures very difficult or impossible. The adoption of ultra low K materials even worsens the situation. In this paper, an attempt is made to address some of the challenging characterization issues and some solutions are provided with the aim to facilitate 45 nm process development and optimization.