International Business Machines Corporation

Thomas A Bauer

Yun-Yu Wang

Anthony Gene Domenicucci

John Gerard Gaudiello

John A Miller

Steven H Boettcher

Stanley J Klepeis

Keith E Barton

Leon J Kimball

Jeffrey S McMurray

Methods of uniformly delayering an IC chip are disclosed. One embodiment includes: performing an ash on the wafer including an Al layer thereof and etching the Al layer; polishing an edge of the wafer using a slurry including an approximately 30 &#x3bc;m polishing particles; removing the aluminum layer and at least one metal layer by polishing using a slurry including approximately 9 &#x3bc;m diamond polishing particles and a non-abrasive backside of a polishing sheet; removing any remaining metal layers to a first metal layer by polishing using a slurry including approximately 3 &#x3bc;m diamond polishing particles and the non-abrasive backside of a polishing sheet; removing any scratches by polishing using a slurry including approximately 1 &#x3bc;m diamond polishing particles and the non-abrasive backside of a polishing sheet; and removing the first metal layer to a polyconductor layer by polishing using a colloidal slurry including approximately 0.25 &#x3bc;m diamond polishing particles.

IC chip uniform delayering methods

A method for preparing a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample for electron holography includes forming a sacrificial material over an area of interest on the sample, and polishing the sample to a desired thickness, wherein the area of interest is protected from rounding during the polishing. The sacrificial material is removed from the sample following the polishing.

Transmission electron microscopy sample preparation method for electron holography

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Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

Thomas A Bauer