Laser-based Photoemission Electron Microscope in the Semiconductor Industry : Ultrahigh-throughput Inspection of Devices/processes

As semiconductor devices continue to scale down, conventional inspection techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) face challenges in visualizing chemical state distribution in next-generation devices such as complementary field-effect transistors (CFETs) with two-dimensional material channels. This study explores the application of laser-based photoemission electron microscopy (Laser-PEEM) as an alternative semiconductor inspection method. Laser-PEEM enables high-throughput, non-destructive imaging with chemical sensitivity and deep detection capabilities. We demonstrate its effectiveness through two case studies : (i) the observation of dielectric breakdown in ferroelectric capacitors, where Laser-PEEM successfully visualized defect formation before catastrophic failure, and (ii) latent image detection in electron beam resist, where Laser-PEEM achieved significantly higher throughput than atomic force microscopy (AFM) and SEM. These findings indicate that Laser-PEEM has the potential to improve semiconductor defect detection, leading to improved yield and process efficiency in advanced manufacturing.