Analytical Testing Services for the Semiconductor Industry

Table of Contents

Background

The semiconductor market and technologies are developing rapidly, and so far several significant developments have taken place in the area of electronics, computers, optical devices such as lasers, light-emitting diodes, and solar panels. Following the Moore’s law, the computer chip has evolved from a simple integrated circuit to a microprocessor with millions of transistors. The demand for increasingly higher performance semiconductor products has stimulated the industry to respond by producing devices with increasingly complex circuitry, more transistors in less space.

Challenges for the Semiconductor Industry

As a result, the industrial fabrication of semiconductors has become extremely complex, involving high-purity materials, sophisticated equipment, and hundreds of steps. The semiconductor industry is confronted with a daunting task of managing and co-integrating an unprecedented confluence of innovative approaches. The introduction of these innovative approaches and the new materials pose new set of concurrent, multifarious challenges both for unit process development and for process integration.

Semiconductors Meet Nanotechnology

Additionally, the semiconductor industry tries increasingly to work at the nanometer scale, and advanced semiconductor processing is already taking place well below 100nm, the threshold for nanotechnology. As the size and properties of the semiconductor devices are shrinking, it has become incredibly complex to probe down to the device level for failure analysis and other testing. In turn, there is large demand for the advanced measuring instrumental analysis which can work at smaller geometrics for the better quality control purposes.

Analysis of Semiconductor Materials

Semiconductor materials exist in many different structural forms and therefore require large range of experimental techniques for their analysis.

Electron Microscopy

Specifically, Electron Microscopy techniques are used to analyze the characteristics of nano & micro device features. The high image and spatial resolution scale analysis provided by electron microscopy is particularly well suited for solving materials problems encountered during research and development, production engineering, reliability testing for failure analysis in semiconductor industries.

Basically there are two types of electron microscopy techniques that are used in materials research:

• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and
• Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM, STEM, EELS)

Areas in Which Electron Microscopy is Needed

Electron Microscopy analysis is required in the following areas:

• Surface characterization and surface analysis
• Growth phenomena of a material deposition on silicon,
• Micro/nano-structure determination of semiconductors,
• Inter-diffusion studies on silicon after deposition of conducting layer,
• Defect detection in layers that form on top of semiconductor chips
• Stress and Strain analysis between the two layers in semiconductors
• Failure studies and analysis in semiconductor device
• Surface chemical and elemental mapping, including impurities
• Thin film thickness detection

What Allegiance NanoSolutions Offers

While semiconductor companies concentrate on their production capabilities and manufacturing process as their key competitive advantage, Allegiance NanoSolutions testing services offers a comprehensive range of analytical testing services which can help customers to analyze early stage development to final product evaluations. Allegiance NanoSolutions experts work with industry to improve the measurement of various semiconductor properties such as the thickness and alignment of circuit layers, and the trace chemical composition of specific device regions.

Allegiance Nanosolutions SEM and TEM Services

Allegiance has capability of providing SEM and TEM analysis. Apart from the basic microscopy images we offer a report that helps understands the researcher on the characteristics of the material being tested. We also offer additional help with advanced analysis of material to evaluate the use of this material in final product. We can also offer additional consulting based on their project needs.

Other Analytical Services Provided by Allegiance Nanosolutions

Allegiance NanoSolutions provides a range of services for those wishing to develop nano-products in Semiconductor applications. These include:

• AFM – Atomic Forced Microscopy that supports Surface Characterization of thin films, Elemental identification and composition, Lithographic patterns characterization, and Nanofabricated patterns, nanomaterials surface imaging
• SEM – Scanning Electron Microscopy that supports 2D, 3D characterization of height and lateral dimensions of nano-objects, Thickness measurement of thin coatings and films
• TEM – Transmission Electron Microscopy that supports Particle size and shape analysis, Particle size distribution, and Determination of crystallographic phases

About Allegiance NanoSolutions

Allegiance NanoSolutions provides Analytical Testing & Consulting services for companies with emerging Nano and Micro technology based products. Our facilities help Start Ups, Mid Sized & Large Commercial & Industrial entities as well as Government Organizations throughout North America with Analytical Testing solutions. Allegiance NanoSolutions also supports a broad spectrum of Nanotechnology based research programs and contract manufacturing for private industry and government organizations.

Source: Allegiance Nanosolutions

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