一般財団法人材料科学技術振興財団　MST List of Products and Services

Corrosive gases such as etching gases have a significant impact on the degradation of semiconductors, electronic components, and devices. Below, we present an example of capturing corrosive gases using TDS (Temperature-Programmed Desorption Gas Analysis). It was confirmed that HCl, a corrosive gas, desorbs with the increase in temperature of the sample. Since TDS can capture desorption in the m/z range of 2 to 199 while heating, it is effective for investigating the types and amounts of corrosive gases as well as their temperature dependence of desorption.

When ions or electron beams are irradiated onto Si, a portion of the "substitutional carbon" that is slightly contained in Si changes into "interstitial carbon." This interstitial carbon is believed to influence the electrical properties of the device. The behavior related to interstitial carbon can be observed very sensitively through low-temperature PL analysis, allowing insights into trace amounts of carbon below the detection limit of SIMS analysis. This document presents examples of low-temperature PL analysis and SIMS analysis conducted on Si substrates subjected to ion implantation.

AES analysis is a method for obtaining compositional information and elemental distribution at the very surface (to a depth of a few nanometers). By combining it with cross-sectional processing, similar information can also be obtained within layered structures and at structural interfaces. This allows for the evaluation of alloy layers, elemental diffusion, and segregation, making it effective for failure analysis and defect investigation of devices. Below, we present a case where a cross-section was prepared using IP processing to evaluate the state near the bonding interface of wire bonding, followed by assessment through AES analysis.

In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, various adhesive sheets, such as dicing tape, are used. Adhesive sheets can be a source of foreign substances and contamination. Therefore, in this case study, we will present the results of a comprehensive evaluation using TOF-SIMS and SWA-GC/MS. With TOF-SIMS, by conducting qualitative analysis of each adhesive sheet material, it is possible to identify which adhesive sheet is responsible for foreign substances and contamination, as well as which layer of the adhesive sheet is the source. Additionally, SWA-GC/MS allows for quantitative confirmation of which adhesive sheet has the least contamination.

TDS is a method that heats the sample, ionizes the released gases, and performs mass analysis. It can analyze the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) from 2 to 199 in high vacuum (1E-7 Pa). In this case, we will introduce an example of TDS analysis conducted on a Si chip treated with hydrogen termination. The TDS was able to capture the desorption of hydrogen from the hydrogen-terminated surface.

IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) is used in various products as a power semiconductor module, ranging from home appliances to industrial equipment. Lifetime control is implemented for performance improvement in IGBTs, but this control is achieved by creating defects (lifetime killers) in the drift layer. By conducting low-temperature micro-PL analysis from the cross-section, it is possible to gain insights into lifetime killers.

XPS is a method for obtaining information about the composition and bonding state of the sample surface (to a depth of about several nanometers), but by combining it with ion irradiation for sputter etching, it is also possible to evaluate the internal structure of the sample and depth distribution. However, in evaluations involving sputter etching, due to the principles and measurement mechanisms of XPS, the amount of oxygen may be overestimated due to the influence of adsorbed oxygen, so caution is required. In the case of evaluating samples that easily adsorb oxygen (such as Ti, TiN, AlN, etc.) or focusing on trace amounts of oxygen, the influence of adsorbed oxygen becomes significant, so comparisons between samples and analyses using SIMS are recommended.

Soft X-ray emission spectroscopy (SXES) using synchrotron radiation is widely used as a method to evaluate the electronic states of materials because it allows for the direct acquisition of the partial density of states (pDOS) near the Fermi level for each element constituting the material. Furthermore, the characteristics of this method include: 1. Information from the bulk can be obtained, 2. It can be evaluated without being affected by charging effects even for insulators, and 3. It has a low detection limit (less than 1 atomic %), making it particularly effective for evaluating materials containing light elements (such as B, C, N, O). In this document, we will introduce the SXES spectrum of a GaN substrate as a measurement example.

Understanding the band structure, including valence bands, conduction bands, and gap states, is an extremely important evaluation criterion for controlling various properties of materials. However, there are limited analytical methods available for direct and detailed assessment of these aspects. Simultaneous measurements of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) using synchrotron radiation allow for a comprehensive understanding of the band structure, as well as detailed information regarding the attribution of the elements and orbitals that compose it. This document presents the XAS and XES spectra of GaN substrates as an example of measurement.

The SIMS analysis profile of the interface between different materials changes with a certain width in the depth direction. This is due to the characteristics of SIMS analysis, which are influenced by ion beam mixing and the roughness of the sputtered surface. The detected impurities represent averaged information up to the mixed depth, detecting ions from regions with a width in the depth direction. Therefore, the interface position is generally defined as the location where the ion intensity of the main constituent elements reaches 50%.

In clean rooms where the manufacturing of semiconductors and liquid crystals takes place, it is important to monitor not only particles but also molecular-level chemical contamination (molecular contamination). Floating molecular contaminants include acidic and basic gases, cohesive organic substances, dopants, and metals, and the analysis methods vary depending on the components. Here, we will introduce details about cohesive organic substances and the representative collection methods, "adsorbent collection" and "wafer exposure collection."

The peaks in the Raman spectrum of single crystal Si shift to higher wavenumbers when compressive stress is applied to the sample and shift to lower wavenumbers when tensile stress is applied. This allows us to gain insights into the stress in Si. An example is shown where the distribution of stress in the cross-section of an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) was confirmed using Raman mapping.

When designing and controlling the properties of various materials, it is very important to clarify the types and amounts of elements present in trace amounts in the base material, as well as their states of existence. The types and amounts of elements can be evaluated using methods such as SIMS (Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry) and ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry), but the evaluation of states of existence, such as valence and chemical bonding states, is effectively conducted using XAFS (X-ray Absorption Fine Structure) measurements with synchrotron radiation. This document introduces a case study where the valence of trace amounts of Ce in ceramic materials was evaluated as a measurement example.

AFM is a method that scans the surface of a sample with a fine probe and measures nano-scale surface topography in three dimensions. It can measure a wide range of materials, not only for the evaluation of metals, semiconductors, and oxides, but also for soft materials such as hair and contact lenses. This document presents various AFM images of different materials.

Angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) is a technique that detects photoelectrons emitted by X-ray irradiation at different take-off angles, using spectra with varying detection depths to evaluate the depth profile near the sample surface. Compared to traditional methods using Ar ion sputtering, it offers improved depth resolution and advantages such as the absence of compositional changes due to selective sputtering or mixing, making it effective for evaluating the depth profiles of ultra-thin films (on the order of a few nanometers) on substrates. This document presents a case study on the evaluation of compositional distribution within a SiN film on a Si substrate.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, ion irradiation is sometimes performed for the purpose of surface modification. It is known that irradiating the surface of single-crystal Si with ions of inert elements can cause structural damage and lead to the formation of an amorphous layer. Utilizing the fact that high-resolution XPS spectra detect c (single-crystal) Si and a (amorphous) Si with different peak shapes, we will introduce a case where this damage-derived a-Si was separated from c-Si and quantitatively evaluated.

By measuring the sample, it is possible to evaluate the crystal structure through the combination of results obtained and simulations. This document introduces a case study in which the crystal structure is discussed by comparing the results obtained from HAADF-STEM and EDX measurements on polycrystalline neodymium magnets with simulated images using the respective measurement conditions. The combination of measurement results and computational simulation results allows for a deeper understanding of the crystal structure.

Amorphous SiNx (a-SiNx) films exhibit significant changes in physical properties from semiconductors to insulators due to compositional variations such as the N/Si ratio, making them suitable for a wide range of applications, including gate insulating films for transistors. On the other hand, experimental methods capable of atomic-level microscopic structural analysis for materials with non-crystalline amorphous structures are limited. Therefore, creating and analyzing amorphous structures with various compositions and densities through simulation becomes an effective tool. This document presents examples of structural analysis of a-SiNx films using molecular dynamics calculations.

We will conduct a comprehensive analysis of DRAM, a representative memory, from product level to device microstructure analysis through TEM observation. By performing appearance observation, layer analysis, and Slice & View, we will grasp the overall structure, control the FIB processing position at the nanoscale, and observe the microstructure of the memory section through TEM imaging after thin section formation.

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Scanning Ion Microscopy (SIM) are both techniques used to evaluate the structure near the surface of a sample by obtaining secondary electron images. Differences in the primary probes lead to variations in contrast and spatial resolution, making it effective to choose between the two methods depending on the surface structure of interest. This document summarizes the comparison of the two methods and presents an example of measurements observing a Cu surface.

The Scanning Ion Microscope (SIM) is a method that irradiates a solid sample with an ion beam and detects the secondary electrons generated. Since secondary electrons produce contrast according to the crystal orientation of each grain, it is possible to easily obtain insights into the size and distribution of crystal grains in polycrystalline metals such as Cu and Al using SIM. This document presents an example of measurements where the surface of Cu was observed using SIM.

The siloxane that is emitted as outgassing from silicone products is a component that is volatile and tends to adhere to substrates. It is known that when siloxane adheres, it can cause adverse effects such as fogging of optical system lenses, delamination or poor adhesion of films, and contact failures in relay circuits, making it important to investigate the amount of siloxane outgassing. This document presents a case study on the amount of cyclic dimethylsiloxane generated when heating silicone tubes at 200°C.

From the analysis of the Cu2p3/2 spectrum and Cu Auger spectrum, it is possible to evaluate the bonding state, quantitative assessment, and film thickness of the Cu surface. Major application examples include the evaluation of CMP processing and cleaning of Cu wiring, as well as the investigation of rust and discoloration of Cu electrodes. We will summarize the surface states of Cu treated with various processes and the thickness of the oxide film. (Measurements can be conducted immediately after treatment in a clean room environment.)

Carbon nanotubes are lightweight nanomaterials with high strength and flexibility, and their excellent properties are expected to lead to applications in various fields. On the other hand, changes in physical properties associated with shape changes are also known, and evaluations of deformation and strain in response to external forces are required. This document introduces a case study of bending deformation simulations of single-walled carbon nanotubes using molecular dynamics calculations. By conducting simulations, it is possible to observe shape changes at the atomic level, which are difficult to evaluate from actual measurements, and to calculate strain energy.

To investigate the causes of defects such as poor adhesion, it is important to gain insights into the surfaces of wafers and devices. In this instance, hydrophobic areas were observed on a silicon wafer, prompting wide-area imaging using TOF-SIMS. As a result, components estimated to be silicone oil, CF-based grease, and paraffin oil were identified from the hydrophobic areas. TOF-SIMS typically has a measurement field of view up to 500μm square, but by moving the stage during measurement, it is possible to evaluate wide-area distributions. Measurement method: TOF-SIMS Product fields: Devices, Displays, Electronic Components, Manufacturing Equipment Analysis objectives: Qualitative, Imaging, Composition Distribution Evaluation For more details, please download the materials or contact us.

We provide suitable analysis menus for essential components of EVs, including onboard batteries and devices.

Carrier lifetime refers to the time it takes for minority carriers among the excess carriers generated during the operation of electronic devices to decay to 1/e. Proper control of this is important for managing the electrical characteristics of the device. On the other hand, luminescence lifetime indicates the time until the luminescence intensity from the sample reaches 1/e, and it can be calculated from the luminescence decay curve. Since some minority carriers emit light during recombination, it is possible to indirectly evaluate the carrier lifetime from luminescence lifetime measurements. This document presents a case study on the evaluation of carrier lifetime for 4H-SiC epitaxial substrates. Measurement method: Fluorescence lifetime measurement Product fields: Power devices, LSI/memory, electronic components Analysis purposes: Failure analysis, defect analysis, product investigation, carrier lifetime, process evaluation For more details, please download the document or contact us.

In electronic devices that use a lot of semiconductors, each component is mounted by soldering. If defects occur in the solder joints, it can lead to malfunctions in the electronic devices. Therefore, evaluating the wettability of solder is important for assessing the reliability of components. In this study, we artificially degraded the samples to examine how the wettability of the solder changes. After the constant temperature and humidity test, it was found that the wettability of the electrode surface changed. Measurement methods: Constant temperature and humidity test, solder wettability test Product fields: Power devices, LSI/memory, electronic components Analysis purpose: Degradation investigation, reliability evaluation For more details, please download the materials or contact us.

In the manufacturing of semiconductor devices, the control of impurities such as dopants is a crucial process. When focusing on ion implantation, even slight differences can affect quality and performance, making precise control necessary. The high reproducibility of SIMS analysis is ideal for the development and maintenance of these processes.

It achieves high positional accuracy and wide-area cross-section production, making it usable as a new large-capacity analysis application. Even small structures within a large area can be targeted for processing, enabling wide-area structural analysis.

Soft X-ray emission spectroscopy (SXES) using synchrotron radiation is widely used as a method to evaluate the electronic states of materials, as it allows for the direct acquisition of the partial density of states (pDOS) near the Fermi level for each element constituting the material. Furthermore, the characteristics of this method include: 1. Information from the bulk can be obtained. 2. It can be evaluated without being affected by charging effects, even for insulators. 3. The detection limit is low (<1 atomic%). These features make it particularly effective for evaluating materials containing light elements (such as B, C, N, O). In this document, we will introduce the SXES spectrum of a GaN substrate as a measurement example.

High-resolution HAADF-STEM images reflect the atomic arrangement of crystals, and by simulating STEM images corresponding to various crystal orientations, they help in accurately understanding the relative orientations between crystal grains and the observed images in polycrystalline materials. This document presents a case where STEM images were simulated from the crystal orientation information obtained by the EBSD method for the crystal grains in a polycrystalline neodymium magnet, and compares them with actual high-resolution HAADF-STEM images.

Thermally stable α-alumina is used in a wide range of applications, including heat-resistant materials, semiconductor packages, and components of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Among these, dense α-alumina is also used as a material for vacuum devices. However, the gases generated when such materials are heated can adversely affect products and equipment, making it important to understand the outgassing from these materials. In this report, we present a case study comparing the outgassing amounts of porous and dense α-alumina using TDS analysis (temperature-programmed desorption gas analysis).

The electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of semiconductors are strongly influenced by defects and impurities present in the system. Therefore, to achieve the desired material properties, it is necessary to understand and control the behavior of defects and impurities. However, evaluating atomic-level microscopic behavior through experimental methods is challenging, making approaches using computational simulations effective. This document presents a case study using first-principles calculations with the NEB (Nudged Elastic Band) method to evaluate the diffusion pathways and barriers of metal impurities (Fe) in silicon crystals.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are lightweight and possess excellent mechanical properties (high strength and high elasticity), making them suitable for various applications and environments. In particular, the deformation behavior of CNTs is related to flexibility and energy absorption characteristics, which are important in sensor and nano-device design. This document presents a case study that simulates the bending and recovery deformation of single-walled CNTs using molecular dynamics calculations. The simulation allows for the observation of structural changes at the atomic level due to environmental changes (pressure and temperature), enabling the analysis of deformation behavior based on the changes in strain energy associated with these structural changes.

The SiON film used as the gate oxide film for Si transistors is formed by introducing nitrogen into the Si oxide film to suppress leakage current. To ensure a good interface characteristic with the substrate while maintaining the dielectric constant, it is necessary to strictly control the distribution of nitrogen in the SiON film. We will present a case study evaluating the distribution of silicon oxide and nitride in a 1nm thick SiON film using TOF-SIMS. TOF-SIMS has high depth resolution on the surface and can obtain molecular information with good sensitivity, allowing for a clear understanding of the compositional distribution in the ultra-thin SiON film.

TOF-SIMS has features such as simultaneous evaluation of organic and inorganic materials, capability for micro-area analysis, and high sensitivity for analyzing the very surface, making it effective for residue investigation in cleaning processes. An example is presented where pure water was dried on a silicon wafer. Optical microscopy only reveals slight point-like foreign substances and cloudiness. However, the results measured by TOF-SIMS showed that in the contaminated areas, organic components such as hydrocarbons, PDMS, and amides, which tend to adsorb naturally, were aggregated.

Impurities from components of the film formation device, target materials, and plating solutions can contaminate the device and have adverse effects, making the qualitative assessment of impurities on surfaces, within films, and at interfaces important. TOF-SIMS can sensitively evaluate unknown elements present on surfaces, within films, and at interfaces in a single measurement due to the following three characteristics: 1. For metallic elements, ions from m/z 1 to 800 can be detected simultaneously in one measurement. 2. Detection sensitivity of a few ppm can be achieved (varies depending on materials and ions). 3. The use of a sputter gun allows for the evaluation of depth distribution.

Control of particles in the semiconductor wafer manufacturing process is extremely important for ensuring wafer quality. In this case study, we estimated what the particles were on a Si wafer through SEM observation, EDX analysis, and simple quantification. The SEM equipment, which has high spatial resolution in the submicron range and can scan areas of several centimeters, allows for rapid inference of what the particles on the wafer are based on shape and composition information, enabling quick identification of the generation process. Analysis linked to coordinate data from defect inspection equipment is also possible.