Method for automated calculation of grains and voids in metal films and TSV-structures

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Abstract

Scientific novelty of this work lies in the application of well-established methods (Feret diameter method and equivalent diameter method) in a new domain – the design and development of microelectronic components. Accurate measurements of metal grain sizes and voids in TSV structures are critically important for improving the reliability and performance of micro- and nanoelectronic devices. Manual methods for analyzing the morphological characteristics of materials are time-consuming and prone to subjective errors. This paper presents an automated approach for calculating grain sizes based on the processing of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The methodology incorporates two approaches for calculating the average grain size: the Feret diameter method and the equivalent circle method. The correlation between the results of these methods confirms the validity of the segmentation and the high accuracy of the analysis. Experimental studies demonstrate that the proposed methodology effectively identifies grains and voids, even in low-contrast and noisy images. The results confirm the versatility, high accuracy, and reproducibility of the method, as well as its potential for integration into quality control and microelectronic system design processes. The automation of analysis significantly reduces the human factor, shortens data processing time, and opens up new opportunities for optimizing the manufacturing processes of micro- and nanoelectronic devices.

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About the authors

N. A. Dyuzhev

National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET)

Email: ivanin@ckp-miet.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow

E. E. Gusev

National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET); VSTU named after G.F. Morozov

Email: ivanin@ckp-miet.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow; Voronezh

P. S. Ivanin

National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET); VSTU named after G.F. Morozov

Author for correspondence.
Email: ivanin@ckp-miet.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow; Voronezh

V. K. Zolnikov

VSTU named after G.F. Morozov

Email: ivanin@ckp-miet.ru
Russian Federation, Voronezh

M. Yu. Fomichev

National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET)

Email: ivanin@ckp-miet.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow

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Supplementary files

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2. Fig. 1. Schematic representation of grain size measurement by the Feret diameter method

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3. Fig. 2. Schematic representation of the equivalent diameter method

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4. Fig. 3. SEM photograph of 1100 nm thick Al film

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5. Fig. 4. SEM photograph of the studied structure after segmentation

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6. Fig. 5. Comparison of single grain measurement methods: (a) manual measurement; (b) automated measurement

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7. Fig. 6. SEM photograph of the studied structure with grain boundaries displayed

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8. Fig. 7. Grain size distribution calculated by the equivalent diameter method

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9. Fig. 8. Grain size distribution calculated by the Feret diameter method

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10. Fig. 9. Calculation of voids in the TSV structure: (a) FIB-SEM cross-section of the samples after CMP. Sample C is generally free of voids. Sample D shows voids near the top and bottom of the via. Specimen E shows large voids in the weld spanning more than 2/3 of the length of the via; (b) Specimen E after segmentation

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