Strain mapping inside the 90nm Intel chip by micro-Raman

Abstract

Strain distribution in a memory cell having gate length of 90nm from an Intel chip was mapped by probing the longitudinal optical phonons using micro-Raman specroscopy. Remarkable insights into the different Raman shift of p-type and n-type metal oxide semiconductor and its distribution in a memory cell were obtained using linearly polarized light. We found that the relaxation for p-type is tensile whereas the relaxation for n-type is compressive. This heterogeneous strain distribution and the coexistence of different strain relaxation throughout the memory cell provide a wealth of information on the study and design of memory devices.