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Product Briefing Outline: FEI Company has launched its next-generation tool in the product family, the DualBeam Expida 1255S system, which is claimed to be the first and only wafer DualBeam system to integrate wafer level STEM (scanning/transmission electron microscopy) sample preparation with ultra-high-resolution imaging and analysis in a single tool.  The Expida 1255S features an advanced ion beam column for preparing TEM samples, and an enhanced electron column with a 14-segment STEM detector for high-resolution 30kV imaging to support advanced manufacturing process at the 45nm node and beyond.

Problem: As device sizes have continued to shrink, they have passed beyond the resolving power of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and into the sub-nanometer realm of STEM. However, the thin samples required by STEM impeded its acceptance in manufacturing applications due to advanced sample preparation and handling, often causing frustrating delays that required the use of multiple systems and processes to create high-quality TEM samples.  

Solution: The 1255S adds STEM imaging to a 300mm full wafer DualBeam to provide a complete solution, from wafer to results, in a single system, intended to significantly improve time-to-answer for critical process information from days or weeks to hours, according to the company. The Expida's ability to provide simultaneous STEM imaging and FIB milling permits absolute control of the sample thinning process, ensuring that it is halted precisely when the targeted feature is revealed and the correct thickness achieved. The Expida 1255S can automatically create multiple site-specific samples on a wafer, saving the time normally required to manually section the wafer and relocate targeted defects. The system retains all the capabilities of conventional DualBeam tools. Its FIB can cut precisely located cross sections to expose subsurface structure for imaging and analysis.

Applications: Full wafer STEM imaging, analysis, and sample preparation for 45nm node and below.

Platform: A 5-axis, 300mm stage has a claimed speed up to 100mm per second, with a positioning accuracy better than 1.5 μm. Speed and reliability are further enhanced by extensive automation options. AutoFIB automatically mills cross sections at designated locations. AutoTEM creates multiple, site-specific, ultra thin sections for S/TEM analysis. AutoSlice&View acquires a series of cross-sections that can be reconstructed into a 3D model.

Availability: June 2007 onwards.