Nanoprobing
Nanoprobing is method of extracting device electrical parameters through the use of nanoscale tungsten wires, used primarily in the semiconductor industry. The characterization of individual devices is instrumental to engineers and integrated circuit designers during initial product development and debug. It is commonly utilized in device failure analysis laboratories to aid with yield enhancement, quality and reliability issues and customer returns. Commercially available nanoprobing systems are integrated into either a vacuum-based scanning electron microscope (SEM) or atomic force microscope (AFM). Nanoprobing systems that are based on AFM technology are referred to as Atomic Force nanoProbers (AFP). Principles and operation AFM based nanoprobers, enable up to eight probe tips to be scanned to generate high resolution AFM topography images, as well as Conductive AFM, Scanning Capacitance, and Electrostatic Force Microscopy images. Conductive AFM provides pico-amp resolution to identify and localize electrical failures such as shorts, opens, resistive contacts and leakage paths, enabling accurate probe positioning for current-voltage measurements. AFM based nanoprobers enable nanometer scale device defect localization and accurate transistor device characterization without the physical damage and electrical bias induced by high energy electron beam exposure. For SEM based nanoprobers, the ultra-high resolution of the microscopes that house the nanoprobing system