[tsm] [Fwd: Call for Papers--Contamination Control in Electron and Ion Microscopy Poster Session at M&M 2006]
- From: Becky Holdford <r-holdford@xxxxxx>
- To: tsm mailing list <tsmwebmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 16:20:13 -0600
Invitation and Call for Papers
Contamination Control in Electron and Ion Microscopy
Microscopy and Microanalysis 2006, Chicago, IL
Organizers: Ronald Vane (XEI Scientific) and András E. Vladár, Ph.D. (NIST)
Session A17 (POSTERS ONLY)
ABSTRACTS DUE February 15, 2006
This session is being organized to present the latest research on
contamination sources and control techniques in charged beam microscopy.
Herein we invite papers on all aspects of contamination control inside
electron microscopes or focused ion beam tools including sources of
contamination, the effects of contamination, contamination artifacts and
interference on microscopy results, and contamination control methods
and techniques. Contamination includes hydrocarbons, particulates, and
other foreign matter that may interfere with imaging and analysis.
Traditionally, contamination control in SEMs has focused on pump oils,
fingerprints, dirty specimens, and good vacuum practice in manufacturing
and service. The use of dry pumps at all stages of the vacuum system of
new FESEMs (Field Emission SEMs) and the use of better vacuum practices
on the part on users and manufacturers have reduced contamination, but
not eliminated problems. Most commonly, tools in the field begin to
exhibit contamination artifacts after several months of use due to trace
amounts of contaminants brought in with specimens. The Semiconductor and
nano-sciences industries have demanded tools that can image structures
<2 nm in size at < 2kV. Instrument manufacturers have responded with
Field Emission tools that easily produce better than 400 kX
magnification at high contrast with low kV beams. Control of
contamination has assumed greater significance as semiconductor
companies move to ever smaller dimensions. It is now common to observe
features with <2 kV and <10 nm in size, close to these tools’ resolution
limits. In such cases, the slightest amount of hydrocarbon (HC)
contamination in the chamber can cause loss of resolution and contrast.
The electron beam reacts with any stray HC in the beam path or on the
surface creating HC ions that condense and form hydrocarbon deposits on
the area being scanned. Even with baking, dry pumps and LN traps,
artifacts and contamination haze remains.
What are the sources and what can be done? Some Research Topic Ideas:
* Do Hydrocarbons adsorbed on materials migrate on the surface to
interact with charged beams to form deposits or is vapor phase transport
more important? The effectiveness of cold fingers and Evactron(R)
chamber cleaning suggests that vapor phase transport of contaminants is
an important alternative mechanism to surface transport.
* Is the gas phase interaction of the electron beam and contaminant
molecules important in SEM contamination buildup? Electron impact
ionization is a common technique in mass spectrometry of organics. What
is the importance of electron impact ionization on vapor phase organics
in the SEM in causing contamination build up in scanned areas?
* What gives better results: plasma cleaning every specimen before
introduction to the SEM chamber, Evactron chamber cleaning, or Evactron
cleaning specimens in the chamber?
* Study Hydrocarbon removal rates for different decontamination methods,
for different types of hydrocarbons and concentrations, under different
Evactron De-Contaminator power and pressure settings, and for different
pump speeds and flow rates during Evactron cleaning.
* How fast does AMC (atmospheric molecular contamination) accumulate on
specimens in different environments after they are cleaned? Freshly
prepared and cleaned specimens are known to be freer from contamination
than specimens that have sat in room air for several days. Quantify this
effect.
* Establish a standard procedure for depositing repeatable amounts of
contamination for removal technique studies.
* Establish a protocol for measuring tool contamination that can be
transferred between tools and used to compare tools or used to establish
contamination standards or limits.
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Becky Holdford (r-holdford@xxxxxx)
972-995-2360
972-648-8743 (pager)
SC Packaging FA Development
Texas Instruments, Inc.
Dallas, TX
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Becky Holdford (r-holdford@xxxxxx)
972-995-2360
972-648-8743 (pager)
SC Packaging FA Development
Texas Instruments, Inc.
Dallas, TX
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Becky Holdford
TSM webmaster
http://www.texasmicroscopy.org/
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