Non-bias inspection of electrical failures in LSI interconnects using LTEM prototype system

Logic LSI chips fabricated by 180nm process were measured by a prototype system of the laser terahertz emission microscope (LTEM). By comparing the LTEM images between a normal circuit and a defective one, p-n junction connected to the defective interconnect such as open or short circuits can be successfully determined under non-bias measurement condition. This result indicates that LTEM can be a useful tool which realizes a non-bias measurement of the defect localization in failure analysis of LSIs fabricated by 180nm process.