Laboratory X-ray Microscopy of 3D Nanostructures in the Hard X-ray Regime Enabled by a Combination of Multilayer X-ray Optics
High-resolution imaging of buried metal interconnect structures in advanced microelectronic products with full-field X-ray microscopy is demonstrated in the hard X-ray regime, i.e., at photon energies > 10 keV. The combination of two multilayer optics—a side-by-side Montel (or nested Kirkpatrick–...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Nanomaterials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/14/2/233 |
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| author | Bartlomiej Lechowski Kristina Kutukova Joerg Grenzer Iuliana Panchenko Peter Krueger Andre Clausner Ehrenfried Zschech |
| author_facet | Bartlomiej Lechowski Kristina Kutukova Joerg Grenzer Iuliana Panchenko Peter Krueger Andre Clausner Ehrenfried Zschech |
| author_sort | Bartlomiej Lechowski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | High-resolution imaging of buried metal interconnect structures in advanced microelectronic products with full-field X-ray microscopy is demonstrated in the hard X-ray regime, i.e., at photon energies > 10 keV. The combination of two multilayer optics—a side-by-side Montel (or nested Kirkpatrick–Baez) condenser optic and a high aspect-ratio multilayer Laue lens—results in an asymmetric optical path in the transmission X-ray microscope. This optics arrangement allows the imaging of 3D nanostructures in opaque objects at a photon energy of 24.2 keV (In-Kα X-ray line). Using a Siemens star test pattern with a minimal feature size of 150 nm, it was proven that features < 150 nm can be resolved. In-Kα radiation is generated from a Ga-In alloy target using a laboratory X-ray source that employs the liquid-metal-jet technology. Since the penetration depth of X-rays into the samples is significantly larger compared to 8 keV photons used in state-of-the-art laboratory X-ray microscopes (Cu-Kα radiation), 3D-nanopattered materials and structures can be imaged nondestructively in mm to cm thick samples. This means that destructive de-processing, thinning or cross-sectioning of the samples are not needed for the visualization of interconnect structures in microelectronic products manufactured using advanced packaging technologies. The application of laboratory transmission X-ray microscopy in the hard X-ray regime is demonstrated for Cu/Cu<sub>6</sub>Sn<sub>5</sub>/Cu microbump interconnects fabricated using solid–liquid interdiffusion (SLID) bonding. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:38:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8f208bc0ef98434c9081f9ea3d2394fb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-4991 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:38:33Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanomaterials |
| spelling | doaj.art-8f208bc0ef98434c9081f9ea3d2394fb2024-01-26T17:58:50ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912024-01-0114223310.3390/nano14020233Laboratory X-ray Microscopy of 3D Nanostructures in the Hard X-ray Regime Enabled by a Combination of Multilayer X-ray OpticsBartlomiej Lechowski0Kristina Kutukova1Joerg Grenzer2Iuliana Panchenko3Peter Krueger4Andre Clausner5Ehrenfried Zschech6deepXscan GmbH, Zeppelinstr. 1, 01324 Dresden, GermanydeepXscan GmbH, Zeppelinstr. 1, 01324 Dresden, GermanydeepXscan GmbH, Zeppelinstr. 1, 01324 Dresden, GermanyInstitute of Electronic Packaging Technology, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtzstr. 10, 01069 Dresden, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems, Maria-Reiche-Str. 5, 01099 Dresden, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems, Maria-Reiche-Str. 5, 01099 Dresden, GermanydeepXscan GmbH, Zeppelinstr. 1, 01324 Dresden, GermanyHigh-resolution imaging of buried metal interconnect structures in advanced microelectronic products with full-field X-ray microscopy is demonstrated in the hard X-ray regime, i.e., at photon energies > 10 keV. The combination of two multilayer optics—a side-by-side Montel (or nested Kirkpatrick–Baez) condenser optic and a high aspect-ratio multilayer Laue lens—results in an asymmetric optical path in the transmission X-ray microscope. This optics arrangement allows the imaging of 3D nanostructures in opaque objects at a photon energy of 24.2 keV (In-Kα X-ray line). Using a Siemens star test pattern with a minimal feature size of 150 nm, it was proven that features < 150 nm can be resolved. In-Kα radiation is generated from a Ga-In alloy target using a laboratory X-ray source that employs the liquid-metal-jet technology. Since the penetration depth of X-rays into the samples is significantly larger compared to 8 keV photons used in state-of-the-art laboratory X-ray microscopes (Cu-Kα radiation), 3D-nanopattered materials and structures can be imaged nondestructively in mm to cm thick samples. This means that destructive de-processing, thinning or cross-sectioning of the samples are not needed for the visualization of interconnect structures in microelectronic products manufactured using advanced packaging technologies. The application of laboratory transmission X-ray microscopy in the hard X-ray regime is demonstrated for Cu/Cu<sub>6</sub>Sn<sub>5</sub>/Cu microbump interconnects fabricated using solid–liquid interdiffusion (SLID) bonding.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/14/2/233X-ray microscopyhigh-resolution radiographynanostructureadvanced packaging |
| spellingShingle | Bartlomiej Lechowski Kristina Kutukova Joerg Grenzer Iuliana Panchenko Peter Krueger Andre Clausner Ehrenfried Zschech Laboratory X-ray Microscopy of 3D Nanostructures in the Hard X-ray Regime Enabled by a Combination of Multilayer X-ray Optics Nanomaterials X-ray microscopy high-resolution radiography nanostructure advanced packaging |
| title | Laboratory X-ray Microscopy of 3D Nanostructures in the Hard X-ray Regime Enabled by a Combination of Multilayer X-ray Optics |
| title_full | Laboratory X-ray Microscopy of 3D Nanostructures in the Hard X-ray Regime Enabled by a Combination of Multilayer X-ray Optics |
| title_fullStr | Laboratory X-ray Microscopy of 3D Nanostructures in the Hard X-ray Regime Enabled by a Combination of Multilayer X-ray Optics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Laboratory X-ray Microscopy of 3D Nanostructures in the Hard X-ray Regime Enabled by a Combination of Multilayer X-ray Optics |
| title_short | Laboratory X-ray Microscopy of 3D Nanostructures in the Hard X-ray Regime Enabled by a Combination of Multilayer X-ray Optics |
| title_sort | laboratory x ray microscopy of 3d nanostructures in the hard x ray regime enabled by a combination of multilayer x ray optics |
| topic | X-ray microscopy high-resolution radiography nanostructure advanced packaging |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/14/2/233 |
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