2024/08/22 by Bavley Guerguis, Ramya Cuduvally, R. J. H. Morris +4
Engineering · Materials Science · #Advanced Materials Characterization Techniques #Hydrogen embrittlement and corrosion behaviors in metals #Integrated Circuits and Semiconductor Failure Analysis
paper · doi:10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114034
openalex publication_date 2024/08/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
) was used as an indirect measure of the average apex electric field during analysis. For a range of electric fields, the accuracy of the total implanted dose and the depth profile shape determined by APT was evaluated against the National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material 2137. The radial (non-)uniformity of the detected B was also examined. At a higher surface electric field (i.e., a greater CSR(Si)), the determined B dose converges on the certified dose. Additionally, the depth profile shape tends towards that derived by secondary ion mass spectrometry. This improvement coincides with a more uniform radial B distribution, evidenced by desorption maps. In contrast, for lower surface electric fields (i.e., a lower CSR(Si)), the B dose is significantly underestimated, and the depth profile is artificially stretched. The desorption maps also indicate a highly inhomogeneous B emission localized around the center of the detector, which is believed to be an artifact of B surface migration on the tip of the sample. For the purposes of routine investigations of semiconductor devices using APT, these results illustrate the potential origin of quantification artifacts and their severity at different operating conditions, thus providing pathways towards best practices for accurate and repeatable measurements.