title: Focused ion beam sectioning and lift-out method for copper and resist vias in organic low-k dielectrics.
abstract: The focused ion beam lift-out technique for scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) sample preparation was shown to be applicable to copper/low-k dielectric semiconductor technology. High resolution SEM, TEM, and scanning transmission electron microscope analyses were performed on metal contacts and resist vias with no evidence of the interface damage or metal smearing commonly observed with mechanical polishing. Ion milling of the sample ex situ to the substrate provided decoration and adjustment of the exposed plane of the section when necessary for SEM analysis.
authors.affiliation: IBM Corporation, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA. crawfe@us.ibm.com
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gignac
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petrus
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D004560:Electricity; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods; D017348:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Transmission / Q000379:methods; D012666:Semiconductors; D047011:Silk
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D047011:Silk; D003300:Copper