Analysis of nano-scale stress in strained silicon materials and microelectronics devices by energy-filtered convergent beam electron diffraction

Peng Zhang, Andrei A. Istratov, Haifeng He, Joel W. Ager, Chris Nelson, Eric Stach, John Mardinly, Christian Kisielowski, Eicke R. Weber, John C.H. Spence

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

The convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) technique of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has excellent capabilities for strain detection at high spatial resolution. Here we report strain measurements in bulk ε-Si/SiGe/Si and in a strained 35nm PMOS device in which SiGe acts as the source and drain. CBED measurements of the composition of the relaxed SiGe buffer are in quantitative agreement with Raman spectroscopy. For the PMOS device, CBED measured a uniaxial compressive stress of 1.12GPa in the channel. However, it was found that even in the cross-sectional TEM samples with thicknesses greater than 300nm, the intrinsic surface strain relaxation was often so severe that no recognizable high-order Laue zone lines in the CBED patterns could be collected. The amorphorization of both free surfaces of the TEM sample to a range of about 80nm is proposed to minimize the impact of surface strain relaxation for future studies. Copyright The Electrochemical Society.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSilicon Materials Science and Technology X
PublisherElectrochemical Society Inc.
Pages559-568
Number of pages10
Edition2
ISBN (Print)156677439X, 9781566774390
DOIs
StatePublished - 2006
Externally publishedYes
Event10th International Symposium on Silicon Materials Science and Technology - 209th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society - Denver, CO, United States
Duration: May 7 2006May 12 2006

Publication series

NameECS Transactions
Number2
Volume2
ISSN (Print)1938-5862
ISSN (Electronic)1938-6737

Conference

Conference10th International Symposium on Silicon Materials Science and Technology - 209th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityDenver, CO
Period05/7/0605/12/06

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