Low noise STEBIC on low resistive samples
Low noise STEBIC on low resistive samples
Thursday, October 8, 2026: 10:40 AM
206 A-B (Henry B. González Convention Center)
Summary:
Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) electron beam induced current (EBIC) has attracted increasing interest in the semiconductor industry because it provides direct access to internal electric fields and fundamental device parameters, such as the minority carrier diffusion length and the depletion region width. However, sample preparation for STEM EBIC can be challenging. Structural defects, including amorphous surface layers, metal redeposition, and ion implantation, introduce parasitic parallel resistances. These parasitic conduction paths lead to increased low-frequency noise in STEM EBIC measurements as the parallel resistance decreases. Here, we present a novel preamplifier module specifically designed for low-resistance samples, enabling low-noise STEM EBIC measurements even on lamellae with relatively low parallel resistance. The proposed approach reduces the need for time-consuming iterative sample preparation and minimizes the overall preparation effort.
Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) electron beam induced current (EBIC) has attracted increasing interest in the semiconductor industry because it provides direct access to internal electric fields and fundamental device parameters, such as the minority carrier diffusion length and the depletion region width. However, sample preparation for STEM EBIC can be challenging. Structural defects, including amorphous surface layers, metal redeposition, and ion implantation, introduce parasitic parallel resistances. These parasitic conduction paths lead to increased low-frequency noise in STEM EBIC measurements as the parallel resistance decreases. Here, we present a novel preamplifier module specifically designed for low-resistance samples, enabling low-noise STEM EBIC measurements even on lamellae with relatively low parallel resistance. The proposed approach reduces the need for time-consuming iterative sample preparation and minimizes the overall preparation effort.