Non-destructive imaging of buried electronic interfaces using a decelerated scanning electron beam

• Published in: Nature communications 2016-09, Vol.7 (1), p.12701-12701, Article 12701
• Main Authors: Hirohata, Atsufumi, Yamamoto, Yasuaki, Murphy, Benedict A., Vick, Andrew J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 142/126; 639/166/987; 639/624/1107/328/968; 639/925/927/1007; 639/925/930/2735; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Scanning electron microscopy; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Spectrum analysis; Transmission electron microscopy
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12701

Recent progress in nanotechnology enables the production of atomically abrupt interfaces in multilayered junctions, allowing for an increase in the number of transistors in a processor. However, uniform electron transport has not yet been achieved across the entire interfacial area in junctions due to the existence of local defects, causing local heating and reduction in transport efficiency. To date, junction uniformity has been predominantly assessed by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, which requires slicing and milling processes that can potentially introduce additional damage and deformation. It is therefore essential to develop an alternative non-destructive method. Here we show a non-destructive technique using scanning electron microscopy to map buried junction properties. By controlling the electron-beam energy, we demonstrate the contrast imaging of local junction resistances at a controlled depth. This technique can be applied to any buried junctions, from conventional semiconductor and metal devices to organic devices. Imaging buried interfaces is necessary to assess the quality of electronic devices and their degradation mechanisms. Here, Hirohata et al . use energy-filtered scanning electron microscopy to image buried defects in an inorganic lateral spin-valve device, at the nanometre scale and non-destructively.