Conventional characterization and test methods are increasingly ineffective when applied to structures less than 100 nanometers, causing challenges across R&D, process control and failure analysis. An increasing number of subtle defects become prominent drivers of failure as device size and operating margins decrease, e.g., processing anomalies in thin gate oxides, substrate problems related to doping, line width variations. Thus, there is urgent demand for tools and techniques to non-destructively characterize semiconductor devices and thin film materials. Xallent will develop a radio frequency nanomachine device to utilize for defect identification, measurement of thin film material thickness, permittivity and conductivity.
