Technology Topics

In 3D LSI, transistors are formed on polysilicon. The formation of defect-free polysilicon is important for high performance transistors. To establish the formation process, we improved the conventional electron microscope technology and observed the growth process of crystal grains on an atomic scale in real time.

In 3D memory manufacturing, extremely small diameter and extremely deep holes (high aspect ratio) are processed. For this control, a nondestructive and highly accurate measurement method is required. We analyzed the measurement capability of T-SAXS (transmission small angle X-ray scattering) by simulation. We confirmed that T-SAXS can measure structures of 0.1um diameter and 30um depth with <1% accuracy. This achievement is important for realizing future 3D memory.

Digitalization of defect data from the device manufacturing processes and design data has dramatically improved the accuracy of electrical test pass/fail prediction.
This technology has contributed to speeding up the device development and improving productivity.

We have established a brand-new evaluation method for nanomaterials by applying the state-of-the-art semiconductor fabrication process.

As many 3D memory nanostructures consist of intricately stacked thin films, it is very important to accurately understand the nanostructures of individual films, the interfaces between them, and the elemental composition distribution in order to realize high-performance and high-reliability devices. New analytical techniques need to analyze nanometer-level 3D structures, and we are driving various advanced analysis methods to achieve this task.