Pluck-and-Probe method for EBIRCH isolation of wordline defects in 3D replacement gate NAND
Pluck-and-Probe method for EBIRCH isolation of wordline defects in 3D replacement gate NAND
Friday, November 1, 2024: 9:20 AM
202 (Hilton San Diego Bayfront)
Summary:
Wordline defects in 3D Replacement Gate NAND (RG NAND) are a major issue holding back part functionality and yield. Shorted wordline locations isolated by EBIRCH enable precise lamella preparation for STEM/TEM, increasing the defect visual rate for physical failure analysis. Due to deprocessing limitations, such as specialized tool requirements, part-specific die preparation knowledge, and the location of the defect in the die, makes preparing samples for successful EBIRCH isolation difficult and time-consuming. A novel sample preparation method for SEM-based nanoprobing has been developed to solve these issues, enabling EBIRCH/EBAC for isolating wordline defect locations with minimal advanced deprocessing and which can be similarly applied to any RG NAND node.
Wordline defects in 3D Replacement Gate NAND (RG NAND) are a major issue holding back part functionality and yield. Shorted wordline locations isolated by EBIRCH enable precise lamella preparation for STEM/TEM, increasing the defect visual rate for physical failure analysis. Due to deprocessing limitations, such as specialized tool requirements, part-specific die preparation knowledge, and the location of the defect in the die, makes preparing samples for successful EBIRCH isolation difficult and time-consuming. A novel sample preparation method for SEM-based nanoprobing has been developed to solve these issues, enabling EBIRCH/EBAC for isolating wordline defect locations with minimal advanced deprocessing and which can be similarly applied to any RG NAND node.