Influence of vacuum environment on conductive atomic force microscopy measurements of advanced metal-oxide-semiconductor gate dielectrics

L. Aguilera; W. Polspoel; A. Volodin; C. Van Haesendonck; M. Porti; W. Vandervorst; M. Nafria; X. Aymerich

doi:10.1116/1.2958246

Influence of vacuum environment on conductive atomic force microscopy measurements of advanced metal-oxide-semiconductor gate dielectrics

L. Aguilera, W. Polspoel, A. Volodin, C. Van Haesendonck, M. Porti, W. Vandervorst, M. Nafria, X. Aymerich

Department of Electronic Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The influence of the environmental conditions on conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) characterization of advanced MOS gate dielectrics was investigated. The effect of the environment on AFM measurements was built by placing a commercial CAFM into a chamber, which can be evacuated up to a pressure of 7 × 10-6 Torr. The CAFM was operated in contact mode using Pt/Cr coated Si tips. Topography maps of a larger area that includes the previously scanned region was also measured for high-k dielectric samples after a gate injection scan of 7 V in vacuum and in ambient conditions. the topographical profiles showed changes of 1.1 nm in vacuum and 4.3 nm in air ambient conditions. A vacuum CAFM was developed to perform vacuum electrical tests at nanometer scale. IV characteristics measured in vacuum environment show lower voltage and larger currents compared to in-air results, pointing out better conductivity measurements when working in vacuum.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1445-1449
Journal	Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures
Volume	26
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1116/1.2958246
Publication status	Published - 25 Aug 2008

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Aguilera, L., Polspoel, W., Volodin, A., Van Haesendonck, C., Porti, M., Vandervorst, W., Nafria, M., & Aymerich, X. (2008). Influence of vacuum environment on conductive atomic force microscopy measurements of advanced metal-oxide-semiconductor gate dielectrics. Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures, 26(4), 1445-1449. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.2958246

Aguilera, L. ; Polspoel, W. ; Volodin, A. ; Van Haesendonck, C. ; Porti, M. ; Vandervorst, W. ; Nafria, M. ; Aymerich, X. / Influence of vacuum environment on conductive atomic force microscopy measurements of advanced metal-oxide-semiconductor gate dielectrics. In: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures. 2008 ; Vol. 26, No. 4. pp. 1445-1449.

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title = "Influence of vacuum environment on conductive atomic force microscopy measurements of advanced metal-oxide-semiconductor gate dielectrics",

abstract = "The influence of the environmental conditions on conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) characterization of advanced MOS gate dielectrics was investigated. The effect of the environment on AFM measurements was built by placing a commercial CAFM into a chamber, which can be evacuated up to a pressure of 7 × 10-6 Torr. The CAFM was operated in contact mode using Pt/Cr coated Si tips. Topography maps of a larger area that includes the previously scanned region was also measured for high-k dielectric samples after a gate injection scan of 7 V in vacuum and in ambient conditions. the topographical profiles showed changes of 1.1 nm in vacuum and 4.3 nm in air ambient conditions. A vacuum CAFM was developed to perform vacuum electrical tests at nanometer scale. IV characteristics measured in vacuum environment show lower voltage and larger currents compared to in-air results, pointing out better conductivity measurements when working in vacuum.",

author = "L. Aguilera and W. Polspoel and A. Volodin and {Van Haesendonck}, C. and M. Porti and W. Vandervorst and M. Nafria and X. Aymerich",

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Aguilera, L, Polspoel, W, Volodin, A, Van Haesendonck, C, Porti, M, Vandervorst, W, Nafria, M & Aymerich, X 2008, 'Influence of vacuum environment on conductive atomic force microscopy measurements of advanced metal-oxide-semiconductor gate dielectrics', Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 1445-1449. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.2958246

Influence of vacuum environment on conductive atomic force microscopy measurements of advanced metal-oxide-semiconductor gate dielectrics. / Aguilera, L.; Polspoel, W.; Volodin, A.; Van Haesendonck, C.; Porti, M.; Vandervorst, W.; Nafria, M.; Aymerich, X.

In: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures, Vol. 26, No. 4, 25.08.2008, p. 1445-1449.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

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AB - The influence of the environmental conditions on conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) characterization of advanced MOS gate dielectrics was investigated. The effect of the environment on AFM measurements was built by placing a commercial CAFM into a chamber, which can be evacuated up to a pressure of 7 × 10-6 Torr. The CAFM was operated in contact mode using Pt/Cr coated Si tips. Topography maps of a larger area that includes the previously scanned region was also measured for high-k dielectric samples after a gate injection scan of 7 V in vacuum and in ambient conditions. the topographical profiles showed changes of 1.1 nm in vacuum and 4.3 nm in air ambient conditions. A vacuum CAFM was developed to perform vacuum electrical tests at nanometer scale. IV characteristics measured in vacuum environment show lower voltage and larger currents compared to in-air results, pointing out better conductivity measurements when working in vacuum.

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Aguilera L, Polspoel W, Volodin A, Van Haesendonck C, Porti M, Vandervorst W et al. Influence of vacuum environment on conductive atomic force microscopy measurements of advanced metal-oxide-semiconductor gate dielectrics. Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures. 2008 Aug 25;26(4):1445-1449. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.2958246