Die front-end defect isolation case study using a combination of atomic force probing and SEM high beam inspection techniques

Defect isolation becomes ever more challenging with shrinking device geometries and reducing operating voltage and current levels. In this failure analysis, a combination of AFP current contrast imaging and nano-probing at the contact layer successfully isolated the defect location to a specific poly feature, where prior PVC analysis had been unsuccessful. This was validated with subsequent high beam SEM inspection and TEM analysis, which revealed bridging residual material beneath the suspected failing poly feature.