Spectral imaging in infrared microscope [semiconductor device/IC investigation]

We present the 2D emission spectral imaging capability developed for the infrared emission microscope (IREM) tool. This innovative technique can provide fundamental physical information on the nature of emissions in device structures and can therefore be use for quick and accurate detection and identification of discrete elements in ICs. The emission spectrum of a device in an IC is derived from images using four different spectral band filters in the 800-1500 nm range. Singular value decomposition is utilized to calculate the spectrum of a device with respect to a proprietary spectral library. The technique is demonstrated using an IRLED and NMOS.