Scanning Microwave Microscopy (SMM)
This application note explores Scanning Microwave Microscopy (SMM), a technique crucial for nano-electrical characterization in the semiconductor and microelectronics industries. SMM is particularly adept at revealing buried structures in multilayered integrated circuits (ICs). It measures the interactions of microwaves between a sharp tip and the sample, using the microwave reflection coefficient (S11 parameter) to infer the tip-sample microwave impedance. This impedance provides information about local capacitance, dielectric constant, and dopant density.
Key learnings:
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Understanding SMM's Role in Nano-Electrical Characterization: Learn how SMM is used to measure local electronic material properties like conductance, dielectric constant, and dopant density, essential for semiconductor research and development.
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SMM Technique and Measurement: Gain insights into how SMM operates, including the use of the S11 parameter for measuring microwave impedance and its application in determining local capacitance and dopant density.
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Advantages of SMM Over SCM: Understand how SMM offers calibrated and absolute measurements across a range of materials, including dielectrics and metals, and operates at higher frequencies for better sensitivity.
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SMM Setup and Calibration: Explore the typical setup for SMM, involving a radio frequency wave source and receiver, and learn about the calibration procedures necessary for quantitative analysis.
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Applications of SMM: Discover how SMM is applied in measuring dopant densities, failure analysis in semiconductor devices, and fault detection in the semiconductor industry.