SBIR Phase II: Integrated Nano-Electro-Mechanical Scanning Probes for Failure Analysis of the 10-Nanometer Node and Beyond

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop and commercialize a breakthrough suite of probes and probing platforms for the imaging and probing of semiconductor devices and thin film materials at scales below 100 nm, where conventional techniques are challenged. The resulting products will allow customers to perform a rich range of tests at the nano-scale at costs and times that are a small fraction of those required for conventional platforms such as scanning electron microscopes (SEM), scanning probe microscopes (SPM), and a range of automated test equipment (ATE) based on these technologies. Miniaturization across a range of sectors is driving the development of devices and materials at increasingly minute length scales. Multiple large-scale trends including mobile devices and the internet-of-things are driving an unprecedented volume of engineering at the nanoscale. Much of this is now dependent on the single-tip SPM that has evolved into a broad array of instruments for the analysis of physical, chemical and electrical properties, and to detect and isolate flaws. The Multiple Integrated Tips (MiT) technology that is the focus of this effort takes a radically different approach to enable an even richer range of tests at length scales below one micron, with a faster, simpler and much more cost-effective platform. Given a large install-base of capital equipment, we are focused on probes coupled with adapters that plug into the most popular SEMs and SPMs. These probes significantly expand the functionality of existing systems, and do this with low barriers to acceptance given modest price points and seamless integration into standard industry platforms. A portfolio of probes will be developed to address high-volume needs across the semiconductor and thin film markets, starting with 4-tip devices for the electrical characterization of thin films, and configurable or non-configurable 3-4-tip devices for probing integrated circuits. These will be offered in a variety of sizes and geometries, currently from hundreds of nm to 65 nm, and extending below 10 nanometers within a year. In Phase II, probe functionality will be enhanced to enable coupled imaging and probing with design to operate in AFM mode. The portfolio of products will be continuously expanded to additional two- and three-dimensional geometries via co-development with lighthouse customers.