Sensors, Vol. 24, Pages 2890: Nanoscale Three-Dimensional Imaging of Integrated Circuits Using a Scanning Electron Microscope and Transition-Edge Sensor Spectrometer
We present a laboratory-scale nanotomography instrument that achieves nanoscale spatial resolution while addressing the limitations of conventional tomography tools. The instrument combines the electron beam of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with the precise, broadband X-ray detection of a superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter. The electron beam generates a highly focused X-ray spot on a metal target held micrometers away from the sample of interest, while the TES spectrometer isolates target photons with a high signal-to-noise ratio. This combination of a focused X-ray spot, energy-resolved X-ray detection, and unique system geometry enables nanoscale, element-specific X-ray imaging in a compact footprint. The proof of concept for this approach to X-ray nanotomography is demonstrated by imaging 160 nm features in three dimensions in six layers of a Cu-SiO2 integrated circuit, and a path toward finer resolution and enhanced imaging capabilities is discussed.
Source: Sensors - Category: Biotechnology Authors: Nathan Nakamura Paul Szypryt Amber L. Dagel Bradley K. Alpert Douglas A. Bennett William Bertrand Doriese Malcolm Durkin Joseph W. Fowler Dylan T. Fox Johnathon D. Gard Ryan N. Goodner James Zachariah Harris Gene C. Hilton Edward S. Jimenez Burke L. Kerne Tags: Article Source Type: research