Analysis apparatus and analysis methods for semiconductor devices

• US 5,956,565 A
• Filed: 11/14/1996
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electronics Corp (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Breneman, Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALANKO, ANITA KAREN
• Application Number:
  US08/748,655
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 438/14, 438/17, 438/976, 438/712, 438/734, 438/716, 438/720, 204/192.32, 204/192.33, 204/192.34
• US Class Current: 438/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/32 Polishing; Etching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/976 Temporary protective layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/732 Nanocantilever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/854 Semiconductor sample
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/888 Shaping or removal of materials, e.g. etching

Abstract

This invention aims to facilitate observation and structural analysis of crystal grains of aluminum wiring. In the process, a protective film of a semiconductor device is removed by dry etching. Next, said semiconductor device is inclined and rotated and an aluminum alloy film or laminated aluminum alloy film of the semiconductor device is scanned with a focused ion beam. Then, said aluminum alloy film or laminated aluminum alloy film is scanned with a cantilever, atomic force between said aluminum alloy film or laminated aluminum alloy film and the cantilever is measured, and the surface of said aluminum alloy film or laminated aluminum alloy film is observed in vacuum.

Claims

1. An analysis method for semiconductor devices, comprising the steps of:

removing a protective film from a semiconductor device by dry etching;

inclining said semiconductor device to an angle in the range of about 15-30 degrees;

rotating said inclined semiconductor device;

scanning an aluminum containing film of said inclined and rotating semiconductor device with a focused ion beam; and

scanning said aluminum film with a cantilever, measuring atomic force between said aluminum film and the cantilever, and observing the surface of said aluminum film in vacuum.

4. An analysis method for semiconductor devices according to claim 1, wherein the accelerating voltage of the focused ion beam is within the range of 20 to 30 kv.

7. The analysis method for semiconductor devices according to claim 1, wherein said aluminum containing film is made from a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum and an aluminum alloy.

8. The analysis method for semiconductor devices according to claim 1, wherein said aluminum containing film is laminated.

2. An analysis method for semiconductor devices, comprising the steps of:

cleaving a semiconductor device;

inclining said semiconductor device to an angle in the range of about 15-30 degrees;

rotating said inclined semiconductor device;

etching the cleaved local areas of said inclined and rotating device by scanning the areas with a focused ion beam; and

scanning the local areas of said semiconductor device with a cantilever, measuring atomic force between said semiconductor device and the cantilever, and observing the surface of an aluminum containing film of said semiconductor device in vacuum.

3. The analysis method for semiconductor devices according to claim 2, comprising the additional step of etching the cleaved local areas of this semiconductor device by scanning the areas with a focused ion beam in an etching gas atmospheres, after said step of etching the cleaved local areas of said semiconductor device by scanning the areas with the focused ion beam.

5. An analysis method for semiconductor devices according to claim 2, wherein said step of etching the cleaved local areas comprises etching the cleave surface of said semiconductor device by scanning the areas with a focused ion bean in parallel to the cleaved surface and in a perpendicular direction to said semiconductor device, wherein said step of etching the cleaved surface further comprises scanning the areas with a focused ion beam in a perpendicular direction to the cleaved surface.

6. An analysis method for semiconductor devices according to claim 3, wherein Cl₂, XeF₂, I₂ or ICl is used as the etching gas.

9. The analysis method for semiconductor devices according to claim 2, wherein said aluminum containing film is made from a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum and an aluminum alloy.

10. The analysis method for semiconductor devices according to claim 2, wherein said aluminum containing film is laminated.

11. The analysis method for semiconductor devices according to claim 2, wherein the accelerating voltage of the focused ion beam is within the range of 20 to 30 kv.