Work

Terahertz near-field imaging of buried structures

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: We report a characterization of the spatial resolution of terahertz (THz) apertureless near-field imaging of metal lines deeply buried beneath a silicon dioxide layer. We find a good resolution for edge contrast, even in the case where the capping layer is considerably thicker than the tip radius. We find that contrast and resolution depend on demodulation frequency, thickness of the capping layer, and radius of the tip. Furthermore, we observe a distinct dependence of the contrast on the direction of the incoming radiation, in both experiments and simulations. Characterization of buried features can be a valuable tool in non-contact failure analysis of semiconductor devices.

Source: Optics Express

DOI: 10.1364/oe.532478

Authors: Pingchuan Ma, Johanna Kölbel, Ji-Feng Ying, J.-H. Lin, Angela Pizzuto, Daniel M. Mittleman

Institution: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (Taiwan)

Language: English

Topic: Terahertz technology and applications

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,270

Funder: National Science Foundation