This new capability helps test laboratories achieve fast, accurate mechanical characterization data without cutting, saving time and keeping the wafer intact for other tests, said Mike O’Hern, applications technology manager.
Called the Nano Indenter(R) XPW, the system includes a complete operating and data analysis software package. An optional vacuum mount system assures that the wafer will stay in good condition for additional tests.
The new XPW system characterizes the surfaces of full size silicon wafers down to the level of a few nanometers, as little as tens of atoms, said O’Hern. Properties such as hardness and modulus of elasticity at this scale can have significant effects on the performance of semiconductors.
Like other Nano Indenter systems, the XPW works under computer control by making an indentation of its diamond indenter tip with a controlled force. The depth of the indentation is continuously monitored, providing data from which the hardness of the test specimen, Young’s modulus, fracture behavior, and other mechanical properties can be calculated.
