August 09 ElectroIndustry - 8

annually in 10 to 15 years. In its 2004 report, Sizing Nanotechnology’s Value Chain, LUX Research was even more optimistic, suggesting that in 2004 the value of nanotechnology related products was $158 billion and that it expected this number would increase in the next 10 years to more than $2.9 trillion in revenue with 89 percent of that being generated from new technologies. functions as complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS) approach sub-20 nm technologies. Current transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) technologies cannot measure adequately the location of carbon atoms to analyze the growth and operation of devices based on these materials. Characterization and metrology tools that measure structural and materials properties are just becoming capable of near-atomic resolution, but often they cannot measure the location of carbon, hydrogen, and other light elements because of small scattering cross sections. The Challenge Standards must be improved for precise atomic mapping instrumentation and for extracting by theory and computer simulations and visualizations, parameters for assessing performance, reliability, and durability of nanoscale contacts. True atomic resolution in 3D must become routine for the entire range of materials and structures used in commercializing nanoelectrotechnologies. Characterization and metrology tools that are just becoming capable of near-atomic resolution include aberration corrected TEMs, local electrode atom probes, and other scanned probe microscopes. In addition to the hardware, standards to support the simulations and visualizations of massive amounts of data are required to gain better insights concerning the phenomena associated with nanosized contacts. Tomography of structural features must be extended to the much smaller dimensions beyond the presently available large feature sizes. Figure 1 illustrates the present state of the art for extracting typical 3D dopant distributions used in siliconbased nanoelectronics from atomic mapping images. Standards and Measurement Needs The following three needs concerning instrumentation for high-resolution measurements of nanoscale contacts serve as illustrative examples that are likely to be applicable to diverse nanoelectrotechnologies. These illustrative examples are from the international nanoelectronics industry, and are derived from NIST Special Publication 1048 An Assessment of the United States Measurement System: Addressing Measurement Barriers to Accelerate Innovation, January 2007, and the 2007 edition of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS). EXAMPLE 1: STRUCTURAL AND COMPOSITIONAL ANALYSES AT THE NANOSCALE The Need Advanced atomic mapping instrumentation for sub-22 nm (nanometer) structural and compositional analyses, including 3D dopant distributions, are necessary for inline, high-volume manufacturing and realtime measurement tools. Adequate characterization and metrology tools that measure structural and materials properties with atomic resolution do not exist. Such tools are needed to develop and manufacture devices at these sizes. Structural and compositional analyses of carbon-based materials such as organic molecules and carbon nanotubes are of considerable interest. The ITRS anticipates that new devices based on organic molecules or nanotubes may be needed to provide new device Figure 1: 3D reconstruction of a patterned semiconductor test structure. The purple spheres denote arsenic atoms. The gate oxide and native oxide are denoted by the blue oxygen isoconcentration surface. The implant process resulted in considerable ion mixing of the thin oxide layer and underlying silicon substrate. Reprinted with permission from Imago Scientific Instruments, Madison, Wisconsin. EXAMPLE 2: SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE NANO-CHARACTERIZATION The Need The current state of the art might best be viewed as a multidimensional parameter space in which trade-offs are made between spatial resolution and sensitivity, chemical speciation and sampling volume, and speed of data acquisition and detection limits. Nanocharacterization will not be sufficient to support the emerging nanoelectrotechnology industry as long as these trade-offs continue to be necessary. Laboratory-based SEM instruments currently operate at levels below those needed for complex high-speed nanocharacterization with respect to spatial resolution, chemical sensitivity, speed of data acquisition, and signal-to-noise ratios. For nanomanufacturing needs, SEM is not adequately automated, robust, and amenable to production environments, and is often not affordable. The Challenge The priority challenges for standards concern four interrelated components of measurements and theory: (1) 8 NEMA electroindustry • August 09

August 09 ElectroIndustry

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 09 ElectroIndustry