title: Two-photon laser-assisted device alteration in silicon integrated-circuits.
abstract: Optoelectronic imaging of integrated-circuits has revolutionized device design debug, failure analysis and electrical fault isolation; however modern probing techniques like laser-assisted device alteration (LADA) have failed to keep pace with the semiconductor industry's aggressive device scaling, meaning that previously satisfactory techniques no longer exhibit a sufficient ability to localize electrical faults, instead casting suspicion upon dozens of potential root-cause transistors. Here, we introduce a new high-resolution probing technique, two-photon laser-assisted device alteration (2pLADA), which exploits two-photon absorption (TPA) to provide precise three-dimensional localization of the photo-carriers injected by the TPA process, enabling us to implicate individual transistors separated by 100 nm. Furthermore, we illustrate the technique's capability to reveal speed-limiting transistor switching evolution with an unprecedented timing resolution approaching <10 ps. Together, the exceptional spatial and temporal resolutions demonstrated here now make it possible to extend optical fault localization to sub-14 nm technology nodes.
authors: Keith A
authors: KA
authors: Serrels
authors: Kent
authors: K
authors: Erington
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Bodoh
authors: Carl
authors: C
authors: Farrell
authors: Neel
authors: N
authors: Leslie
authors: Theodore R
authors: TR
authors: Lundquist
authors: Praveen
authors: P
authors: Vedagarbha
authors: Derryck T
authors: DT
authors: Reid
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007834:Lasers; D008422:Materials Testing; D054802:Molecular Imprinting / Q000295:instrumentation*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D013499:Surface Properties / Q000528:radiation effects; D014173:Transistors, Electronic
chemical_list: D012825:Silicon