In-line material analysis of 50nm defects by integration of Energy (EDX) and Wavelength (WDX) Dispersive X-ray analysis

The rapid adoption of new materials at advanced semiconductor technology nodes enhances the need for an in-line comprehensive elemental analysis of extremely small defects. Sub-100 nm particles analysis as well as accurate identification of chemical elements with overlapping characteristic spectral lines represent the most challenging material analysis problems for a standard Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. A comprehensive solution for addressing all in-line material analysis requirements was developed using an integrated and improved EDX and Wavelength Dispersive X-ray (WDX) approach. The integrated system is designed to utilize the advantages of each component so that both analysis accuracy and throughput are optimized. In this paper, the capabilities and limitations of each analysis technology will be discussed as well as the performance of the combination of advanced EDX and WDX systems.