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Critical Step To Improving Manufacture Process, Product Quality - Defect Analysis

By Roy van Rivero


One industry process that plays an important role particularly in product manufacturing is defect analysis, which, usually, is carried out through the aid of sophisticated equipment (e.g. tools that are capable of examining defects at the micro and nano levels). It helps improve the manufacturing process, which is the key to producing products of better quality. In other words, defect analysis is crucial to delivering products with optimum performance to the end-users.

One example industry that is benefiting from defect analysis is semiconductor's. With this important step, manufacturers of integrated circuits are now able to detect even the slightest defect and perform the necessary fixing, thereby producing end-products that are of better quality. Because defect analysis involves the examination of semiconductor substrates in micro or nano levels, the process can be really challenging. Fortunately, companies that perform defect analysis have found solutions to this challenge and this is through the use of nano technologies developed by innovative minds in the industry. Some examples of these technologies are FE-SEM, which is utilized to capture the surface topology of any solid material with high spatial resolution; FIB-SEM, which is used for site-specific analysis, deposition, and ablation of materials.

Some microscopes used for defect analysis

Helios NanoLab(TM) DualBeam - an equipment designed to deliver a powerful solution for advanced nanoscale research. It has the capability to produce ultra-thin samples for S/TEM and the most accurate prototyping capabilities.

Tecnai(TM) TEM - this tool was engineered to give a truly universal imaging and analysis solution; this is intended for life sciences, material sciences, nanotechnology and the semiconductor, data storage industries.

Magellan XHR SEM - this tool gives surface-sensitive imaging performance at sub-nanometer resolution without the analytical capabilities being compromised.

Advanced methods for defect analysis

3D Metrology - this method is used to measure the interior of complex object non-destructively; a system employed to process control, component qualification, reverse-engineering, as well as tool correction.

Circuit Edit - this means performing microsurgery on integrated circuit devices; semiconductor companies utilize focused ion beam (FIB) tools to perform this process.

Failure Analysis - a process used in collecting and analyzing data to determine the reason of a failure.

TEM Lamella Preparation - utilizes focused ion beam, the process includes FIB milling and polishing of front side of TEM lamella; the sample is rotated 180 degrees and then is milled and polished. When done, the sample is picked up with lift-out tool.




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