Imec Vzw

Imec

Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum (imec)

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Interuniversitair Micro-elektronica Centrum Vzw

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Ku Leuven R&d

Interuniversitair Micorelektronica Centrum (imec, Vzw)

Universiteit Antwerpen

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, K.u. Leuven Research & Development

Wilfried B Vandervorst

Thomas Hantschel

Kristof Paredis

Peter De Wolf

Anne S Verhulst

Trudo Clarysse

Louis C Hellemans

Thomas Trenkler

Umberto Celano

Marc A Meuris

Janusz Bogdanowicz

Pierre Eyben

Claudia Fleischmann

Wim Deweerd

David Paul Brunco

Paul A Zimmerman

Cedric Huyghebaert

Lars-Ake Ragnarsson

Jan Sijbers

Stefan De Gendt

Tom Schram

Jan De Beenhouwer

Ruping Cao

Andreas Schulze

Kai Arstila

Oberon Dixon-Luinenburg

Kazuhiko Yamamoto

Jonathan Op De Beeck

Peter DeWolf

Menelaos Tsigkourakos

Yu-Ting Ling

Example embodiments relate to methods and apparatuses for aligning a probe for scanning probe microscopy (SPM) to the tip of a pointed sample. One embodiments includes a method for aligning an SPM probe to an apex area of a free-standing tip of a pointed sample. The method includes providing an SPM apparatus that includes the SPM probe; a sample holder; a drive mechanism; and detection, control, and representation tools for acquiring and representing an image of a surface scanned by the SPM probe. The method also includes mounting the sample on the sample holder. Further, the method includes positioning the probe tip of the SPM, determining a 2-dimensional area that includes the pointed sample, performing an SPM acquisition scan, evaluating and acquired image, and placing the SPM probe in a position where it is aligned with an apex area of the free-standing tip of the pointed sample.

Method and apparatus for aligning a probe for scanning probe microscopy to the tip of a pointed sample

A device is provided for electrically measuring surface characteristics of a sample. The device comprises at least one group of three electrodes: a first and second electrode spaced apart from each other and configured to be placed onto the surface of the sample, and a third electrode between the first two but isolated from these two electrodes by a one or more first insulators, wherein a second insulator further isolates the central electrode from the sample when the device is placed thereon. The three electrodes and the insulators are attached to a single or to multiple holders with conductors incorporated therein for allowing the coupling of the electrodes to power sources or measurement tools. The placement of the device onto a semiconductor sample creates a transistor with the sample surface acting as the channel. The device thereby allows the determination of the transistor characteristics of the sample in a straightforward way.

Device for measuring surface characteristics of a material

The disclosed technology relates to a method and apparatus for correctly positioning a probe suitable for scanning probe microscopy (SPM). The probe is positioned relative to the apex region of a needle-shaped sample, such as a sample for atom probe tomography, in order to perform a SPM acquisition of the apex region to obtain an image of the region. In one aspect, the positioning takes place by an iterative process, starting from a position wherein one side plane of the pyramid-shaped SPM probe interacts with the sample tip. By controlled consecutive scans in two orthogonal directions, the SPM probe tip approaches and finally reaches a position wherein a tip area of the probe interacts with the sample tip's apex region.

Method for determining the shape of a sample tip for atom probe tomography

The disclosure is related to a method and apparatus for transmission electron microscopy wherein a TEM specimen is subjected to at least one thinning step by scratching at least an area of the specimen with an SPM probe, and wherein the thinned area is subjected to an SPM acquisition step, using the same SPM probe or another probe.

Method and apparatus for transmission electron microscopy

A method of measuring an electrical characteristic of a current path is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes a probe for scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM), a test sample contacted by the probe, a back contact on the test sample, a bias voltage source and a logarithmic SSRM amplifier, when a modulation at a predefined frequency is applied to either the contact force of the probe or to the bias voltage, the device comprising electronic circuitry for producing in real time a signal representative of the electrical characteristic, according to the formula logA=&#xb1;V&#xb1;log(dV)+V.

Device and method for two dimensional active carrier profiling of semiconductor components

The present disclosure is related to a method of fabricating a semiconductor device involving the production of at least two non-parallel nano-scaled structures on a substrate. These structures are heated to different temperatures by exposing them simultaneously to polarized light having a wavelength and polarization such that a difference in absorption of light occurs in the first and second nanostructure. In some cases the light is polarized in a plane that is parallel to one of the structures. The present disclosure may provide differential heating of semiconductor structures of different materials, such as Ge and Si fins.

Method for differential heating of elongate nano-scaled structures

The disclosed technology relates generally to probe configurations, and more particularly to probe configurations and methods of making probe configurations that have a diamond body and a diamond layer covering at least an apex region of the diamond body. In one aspect, a method of fabricating a probe configuration includes forming a probe tip. Forming the probe tip includes providing a substrate and forming a recessed mold into the substrate on a first side of the substrate, wherein the recessed mold is shaped to form a probe body having an apex region. Forming the probe tip additionally includes forming a first diamond layer on the substrate on the first side, wherein forming the first diamond layer includes at least partially filling the recessed mold with the first diamond layer such that a probe body having an apex region is formed in the recessed mold. Forming the probe tip additionally includes patterning to remove at least partially the first diamond layer which surrounds the probe body, removing a substrate material surrounding at least the apex region of the probe body, and forming a second diamond layer covering at least the apex region of the probe body. The method additionally includes attaching the probe tip to a first end of a cantilever and attaching the second end of the cantilever to a holder.

Probe configuration and method of fabrication thereof

The disclosure is related to an SSRM method for measuring the local resistivity and carrier concentration of a conductive sample. The method includes contacting the conductive sample at one side with an AFM probe and at another side with a contact electrode, modulating, at a modulation frequency, the force applied to maintain physical contact between the AFM probe and the sample while preserving the physical contact between the AFM probe and the sample, thereby modulating at the modulation frequency the spreading resistance of the sample; measuring the current flowing through the sample between the AFM probe and the contact electrode; and deriving from the measured current the modulated spreading resistance. Deriving the modulated spreading resistance includes measuring the spreading current using a current-to-voltage amplifier, converting the voltage signal into a resistance signal, and filtering out from the resistance signal, the resistance amplitude at the modulation frequency.

Method for determining local resistivity and carrier concentration using scanning spreading resistance measurement set-up

A tunnel Field Effect Transistor is provided comprising an interface between a source and a channel, the source side of this interface being a layer of a first crystalline semiconductor material being substantially uniformly doped with a metal to the solubility level of the metal in the first crystalline material and the channel side of this interface being a layer of this first crystalline semiconductor material doped with this metal, the concentration decreasing towards the channel.

Tunnel field-effect transistor and methods for manufacturing thereof

A method and system for optically determining a substantially fully activated doping profile are disclosed. The substantially fully activated doping profile is characterized by a set of physical parameters. In one aspect, the method includes obtaining a sample comprising a fully activated doping profile and a reference, and obtaining photomodulated reflectance (PMOR) offset curve measurement data and DC reflectance measurement data for the sample including the fully activated doping profile and for the reference. The method also includes determining values for the set of physical parameters of the doping profile based on both the photomodulated reflectance offset curve measurements and the DC reflectance measurements.

Method for determining the active doping concentration of a doped semiconductor region

An atomic force microscopy probe configuration and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one aspect, the probe configuration includes a cantilever, and a planar tip attached to the cantilever. The cantilever only partially overlaps the planar tip, and extends along a longitudinal direction thereof. The planar tip is of a two-dimensional geometry having at least one corner remote from the cantilever, which corner during use contacts a surface to be scanned.

Method for cost-efficient manufacturing diamond tips for ultra-high resolution electrical measurements and devices obtained thereof

A wavelength-sensitive detector is provided that is based on elongate nanostructures, e.g. nanowires. The elongate nanostructures are parallel with respect to a common substrate and they are grouped in at least first and second units of a plurality of parallel elongate nanostructures. The elongate nanostructures are positioned in between a first and second electrode, the first and second electrodes lying respectively in a first and second plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of substrate, whereby all elongate nanostructures in a same photoconductor unit are contacted by the same two electrodes. Circuitry is added to read out electrical signals from the photoconductor units. The electronic density of states of the elongate nanostructures in each unit is different, because the material, of which the elongate nanostructures are made, is different or because the diameter of the elongate nanostructures is different. Each unit of elongate nanostructures therefore gives a different response to incident photons such that wavelength-specific information can be derived with the device.

Wavelength-sensitive detector comprising photoconductor units each having different types of elongated nanostructures

One inventive aspect relates to a method for fabricating a high-k dielectric layer. The method comprises depositing onto a substrate a layer of a high-k dielectric material having a first thickness. The high-k dielectric material has a bulk density value and the first thickness is so that the high-k dielectric layer has a density of at least the bulk density value of the high-k dielectric material minus about 10%. The method further comprises thinning the high-k dielectric layer to a second thickness. Another inventive aspect relates to a semiconductor device comprising a high-k dielectric layer as fabricated by the method.

Method for fabricating a high-K dielectric layer

Wavelength-sensitive detector with elongate nanostructures

One aspect of the invention discloses a method of determining the dopant profile of doped regions in a semiconductor substrate. A pump laser is used to create excess carriers in this semiconductor substrate. The excess carrier concentration will influence the reflection of a probe laser. From the reflected probe laser not only the bulk components but also the near-surface components are eliminated to only yield the bulk components.

Growing community of inventors

Mechelen, Belgium

Wilfried B Vandervorst