Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 42 (2003) pp. 318-325  |Next Article|  |Table of Contents|
|Full Text PDF (331K)| |Buy This Article|

Nanometrology of Si Nanostructures Embedded in SiO₂ using Scanning Electron Microscopy

Masao Nagase, Akira Fujiwara, Kenji Kurihara¹ and Hideo Namatsu

(Received July 4, 2002; revised manuscript revised September 10, 2002; accepted for publication September 12, 2002)

A novel scanning electron microscopy for the imaging of embedded nanostructures is proposed. The Si nanostructures embedded in SiO₂ are clearly observed as bright contrasts at 30 kV electrons in the secondary electron mode. It is confirmed that the surface charging effect of SiO₂ on an SOI substrate is modified by the existence of an embedded Si structure. The edge of the embedded structure creates a yield peak in the secondary electron profile. The comparison of the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image and the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image indicates that the peak position represents the edge position of the embedded structure with nano-order precision. The metrological method using this imaging technique is successfully applicable to the width measurement of sub-10-nm embedded Si structures.

KEYWORDS: SEM, embedded Si, nanostructure, secondary electron, metrology
URL: http://jjap.ipap.jp/link?JJAP/42/318/
DOI: 10.1143/JJAP.42.318

References | Citing Articles (3)

1. Y. Takahashi, M. Nagase, H. Namatsu, K. Kurihara, K. Iwadate, Y. Nakajima, S. Horiguchi, K. Murase and M. Tabe: Tech. Dig. Int. Electron Devices Meet., 1994, p. 938.
2. Y. Takahashi, M. Nagase, H. Namatsu, K. Kurihara, K. Iwadate, Y. Nakajima, S. Horiguchi, K. Murase and M. Tabe: Electron. Lett. 31 (1995) 136[AIP Scitation].
3. Y. Takahashi, H. Namatsu, K. Kurihara, K. Iwadate, M. Nagase and K. Murase: IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 43 (1996) 1213[CrossRef].
4. Y. Ono, Y. Takahashi, K. Yamazaki, M. Nagase, H. Namatsu, K. Kurihara and K. Murase: IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 47 (2000) 147[CrossRef].
5. H. I. Liu, N. I. Maluf, R. F. W. Pease, D. K. Biegelsen, N. M. Johnson and F. A. Ponce: J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 10 (1992) 2846[AIP Scitation].
6. H. I. Liu, D. K. Biegelsen, N. M. Johnson, F. A. Ponce and R. F. W. Pease: J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 11 (1993) 2532[AIP Scitation].
7. H. I. Liu, D. K. Biegelsen, F. A. Ponce, N. M. Johnson and R. F. W. Pease: Appl. Phys. Lett. 64 (1994) 1383[AIP Scitation].
8. C. Single, F. Zhou, H. Heidemeyer, F. E. Prins, D. P. Kern and E. Plies: J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 16 (1998) 3938[AIP Scitation].
9. H. Heidemeyer, C. Single, F. Zhou, F. E. Prins, D. P. Kern and E. Plies: J. Appl. Phys. 87 (2000) 4580[AIP Scitation].
10. H. Seiler: Scanning Electron Microsc. 1 (1976) 9.
11. H. Seiler: J. Appl. Phys. 54 (1983) R1[AIP Scitation].
12. J. Hejna: Scanning 14 (1992) 256.
13. A. Moniwa and T. Terasawa: Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 37 (1998) 7032[IPAP].
14. T. Ishitani, Y. Taniguchi, S. Isakozawa, H. Koike, T. Yaguchi, H. Matsumoto and T. Kamino: J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 16 (1998) 2532[AIP Scitation].
15. K. Ura, H. Fujioka, K. Nakamae and M. Ishikawa: Scanning Electron Microsc. 3 (1982) 1061.
16. K. Koyama, T. Tojo, T. Sugihara, T. Takigawa, T. Sano, M. Ishikawa and K. Matsuda: J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 6 (1988) 1958[AIP Scitation].
17. M. Nagase and K. Kurihara: Microelectron. Eng. 53 (2000) 257.
18. M. Nagase, A. Fujiwara, K. Yamazaki, Y. Takahashi, K. Murase and K. Kurihara: Microelectron. Eng. 41/42 (1998) 527.
19. H. J. Leamy: J. Appl. Phys. 53 (1982) R51[AIP Scitation].
20. M. Gaevski, M. Elfwing and E. Olsson: J. Appl. Phys. 91 (2002) 2713[AIP Scitation].
21. H. R. Kirk, Z. Radzimski, A. Romanowski and G. A. Rozgonyi: J. Electrochem. Soc. 146 (1999) 1529.
22. This sample was fabricated by “Microsampling technology” with FB2000 (Hitachi). First, the sampling area is cut out from the substrate by FIB and is picked up by a microprobe. In this state, the thickness of the sample is about a few microns. Next, the sample piece is tilted by 90° and is fixed on a TEM sample holder. The sample thickness is reduced to be about 100 nm for TEM observation by FIB.