Vacuum Scanning Microwave Microscopy for quantitative characterization of sub-10 nm and atto-Farad scale capacitors and memories
Automation, Mechatronics, Control Systems, Intelligent Technical Systems, Robotics
Final Report Abstract
A large part of the project has been achieved. The SEM2 instrument is operational and the measurements were demonstrated on reference samples, memristors and nanodot capacitances. Time was unfortunately lacking to further investigate the samples and get more quantitative results. However, first results are very encouraging to use this instrument for better understanding electrical measurements based on SMM. AFM and related techniques target a long-term goal for the characterization of matter (in various fields such as, physics, chemistry, biology, among others). SMM is a more recent technique that aims at combining nanoscale and microwaves. It challenges the ultimate sensibility and resolution for RF measurements. Drifts coming from instrumentation are observed and challenges the measurements of materials and devices. Observing with the SEM the interaction of the probe and the sample may help better understand the RF measurements. As an example, previously to the VacSMM project, the impact of parasitic capacitances in the SMM measurements was evidenced as a limitation for measuring nanodot aF capacitances. After this project, we will look at using SMM under vacuum combined with SEM to better control these effects. For device application such as memristor, SMM was the first attempt of measuring those devices in RF condition and at the nanoscale. The obtained results are encouraging further investigation on memristors with other material technology. The VacSMM project has led to a new instrumentation combining a SEM and a SMM. Measurements have been performed showing SEM images and electrical measurements of various devices such as reference samples, memristor and nanodot capacitances. These results bring promising perspectives for nanoscale microwave measurement beyond the present state of the art. Further projects will benefit of the new instrumentation concept. The results bring a new expertise that is used for further project application with various partners outside the consortium.
Publications
- “Manipulating and Characterizing with Nanorobotics: In-situ SEM technique for Centimeter and Millimeter Waves”, Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz), 2015, 40th Int. Conf. on, Hong Kong, 23-28 August, 2015
O.C. Haenssler and S. Fatikow
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1109/IRMMW-THz.2015.7327755) - "Modularized SPM-controller based on an FPGA for combined AFM and SMM measurements", 2016 Int. Conf. on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales (MARSS), Paris, France, July, 2016
M.F. Wieghaus, T. Tiemerding, O.C. Haenssler, S. Fatikow
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1109/MARSS.2016.7561716) - "Memristor device characterization by scanning microwave microscopy", 2017 Int. Conf. on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales (MARSS), Montréal, Canada, 17-21 July, 2017
G. Sassine, N. Najjari, N. Defrance, O.C. Haenssler, D. Theron, F. Alibart and K. Haddadi
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1109/MARSS.2017.8016537) - “Near-Field Scanning Millimeter-wave Microscope Combined with a Scanning Electron Microscope”, Microwave Symposium (IMS), 2017 IEEE MTT-S International, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, 4- 9 June, 2017
K. Haddadi, O.C. Haenssler, C. Boyaval, G. Dambrine, D. Theron
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1109/MWSYM.2017.8058957) - "Multimodal imaging technology by integrated scanning electron, force, and microwave microscopy and its application to study microscaled capacitors", J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B36 (2), 2018 pp. 022901
O.C. Haenssler, D. Théron and S. Fatikow
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1116/1.5006161) - “Multimodal microscopy test standard for scanning microwave, electron, force and optical microscopy”, Journal of Micro-Bio Robotics, Springer-Nature 2018
O.C. Haenssler, M.F. Wieghaus, A. Kostopoulos, G. Doundoulakis, E.Aperathitis, S.Fatikow, G.Kiriakidis
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12213-018-0108-z) - “Multimodal Sensing and Imaging Technology by Integrated Scanning Electron, Force, and Nearfield Microwave Microscopy and its Application to Submicrometer Studies”, Dissertation, Feb. 2018, Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Germany, and Université de Lille, France
O.C. Haenssler
