Investigation of the EBIC/TCM-method and application to VLSI-structures

The EBIC/TCM (electron beam induced current/tunneling current microscopy) method was applied to gate oxide structures. Oxide defects could be localized exactly for further analyses by scanning or transmission electron microscopy. Passivated structures and trench capacitors were investigated. Semiautomatic measurements were carried out in order to obtain statistical results. In the case of degraded gate oxide before destructive breakdown, TCM was used. The best results were achieved in the depletion range. A lateral solution of about 200 nm and a step-resolution of 2 nm were attained. To avoid further radiation damage by the electron beam, laser-activated TCM was used. Both methods yielded comparable results