Failure analysis of process-induced particle contamination acting as masks that block implantation using C-AFM and chemical etching

Ion implantation is one of the most common steps in the manufacture of integrated circuits. The characterization and visualization of process-induced particle contamination acting as masks that block implantation especially when the defects are not in a specific area of a chip takes a lot of effort. This paper describes the use of a Conductive Atomic Force Microscope (C-AFM) technique coupled with wet chemical etching analysis to quickly make different implants visible at low cost.