Imaging Material Components of an Integrated Circuit Interconnect

Published

January 1, 2004

Author(s)

Zachary H. Levine, Steven E. Grantham, D J. Paterson, I McNulty, I C. Noyan, T M. Levin

Abstract

Two regions of interest on a copper/tungsten integrated circuit interconnect were imaged using two techniques: (a) the absorption spectrum was measured at 15 x-ray energies between 1687 eV and 1897 eV; and (b) the x-ray fluorescence spectrum was recorded with incident photon energies of 1822 eV, 1797 eV, and 1722 eV. The energies were chosen to optionally excite tungsten and tantalum above their M₅ edges yet stay below the silicon K edge. Four materials in the circuits, tantalum, tungsten, silica, and copper were mapped using both techniques. The two sets of images agree in their main features, but differ for finer features.

Citation

Journal of Applied Physics

Volume

95

Issue

No. 1

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

integrated circuit interconnect, x-ray fluorescence, x-ray microfluorescence, x-ray microspectroscopy, x-ray spectroscopy

Citation

Levine, Z. , Grantham, S. , Paterson, D. , McNulty, I. , Noyan, I. and Levin, T. (2004), Imaging Material Components of an Integrated Circuit Interconnect, Journal of Applied Physics (Accessed October 28, 2025)