BMD impact on silicon fin defect at TSV bottom. Issue 13 (1st June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Dingyou; Thangaraju, Sarasvathi; Smith, Daniel; Kamineni, Himani; Klewer, Christian; Scholefield, Mark; Lei, Ming; Vikram, Abhishek; Lim, Victor; Kim, Wonwoo; Alapati, Ramakanth
• Is Part Of: Electronics letters. Volume 50:Issue 13(2014)
• Page Start: 954
• Page End: 956
• Publication Date: 2014-06-01
• Subjects: scanning electron microscopy -- three‐dimensional integrated circuits -- silicon -- elemental semiconductors -- sputter etching -- inspection; silicon fin defect -- TSV bottom -- BMD impact -- through‐silicon via -- TSV defect -- TSV deep‐reactive‐ion‐etching process -- DRIE process -- mechanical failures -- scanning electron microscope -- SEM -- API approach -- automatic process inspection approach -- nondestructive testing -- bulk microdefects -- benchmarking test -- micromask -- etching -- silicon fin defects -- Si; Electronics -- Periodicals; 621.381
• DOI: 10.1049/el.2014.0974
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-5194

Abstract

Abstract : A new type of through‐silicon via (TSV) defect, silicon fin defect, which was found after the TSV deep‐reactive‐ion‐etching process at the TSV bottom is reported. These defects are considered killer TSV defects that may cause process or mechanical failures and have to be eliminated. A scanning electron microscope automatic process inspection approach, which is non‐destructive and proven to be effective, has been established to image the fin defects at the bottom of the trench. A possible root cause of this defect is also explored. Both simulation and benchmarking test results indicate that bulk micro defects (BMDs) in the silicon substrate could serve as a micro‐mask during etching and result in silicon fin defects.