ABSTRACT
Standard analytical practice in the semiconductor industry depends on fast, efficient and reliable sample preparation prior to field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). "In lens" imaging technology and orientation mapping demand sample surfaces free of physical damage and residual contamination. An integrated preparation tool has been developed that incorporates the functionality necessary for argon-oxygen plasma cleaning, ion beam etching, reactive ion beam etching, reactive ion etching, and ion beam sputter coating. Control, monitoring and sequential automation of the processes is accomplished through a novel combination of software and hardware. The chapter discusses FESEM results for AI and Cu based microelectronic materials, as well as electron backscatter diffraction results for bulk metals. It demonstrates improvements in throughput and subsequent materials characterization. Plasma chemistries are often produced that are selective to one or more components of the microstructure of a microelectronic material.
