25 nm X-ray nanodiffraction mapping of residual strain distributions at the cross-sections of a MOSFET transistor

Functional properties of power MOSFETs depend decisively on residual strain fields across near-surface transistor cross-sections, which are accumulated during multiple processing steps, decisively influence thermal fatigue and modify the devices’ performance as well as predetermine their lifetime. The aim of this experiment is to perform mapping of residual strains at the cross-sections of MOSFET transistors within single- and poly-crystalline regions like thin films (W, Si, Ti/TiN, TiSi) and Si(100) substrate using 25 nm spatial resolution. The experiment will provide a fundamental understanding of residual strain build-up and defect formation in MOSFETs, which will be correlated with the particular process steps and conditions. The nanodiffraction results will be verified by finite element modelling and complementary TEM analysis.