Nanoscale dielectric properties of insulating thin films: from single point measurements to quantitative images

Characterizing Dielectric Permittivity of Nanoscale Dielectric Films by Electrostatic Micro-Probe Technology: Finite Element Simulations

Finite element simulations for detecting the dielectric permittivity of planar nanoscale dielectrics by electrostatic probe are performed to explore the microprobe technology of characterizing nanomaterials. The electrostatic force produced by the polarization of nanoscale dielectrics is analyzed by a capacitance gradient between the probe and nano-sample in an electrostatic detection system, in which sample thickness is varied in the range of 1 nm-10 μm, the width (diameter) encompasses from 100 nm to 10 μm, the tilt angle of probe alters between 0° and 20°, and the relative dielectric constant covers 2-1000 to represent a majority of dielectric materials. For dielectric thin films with infinite lateral dimension, the critical diameter is determined, not only by the geometric shape and tilt angle of detecting probe, but also by the thickness of the tested nanofilm. Meanwhile, for the thickness greater than 100 nm, the critical diameter is almost independent on the probe geometry while being primarily dominated by the thickness and dielectric permittivity of nanomaterials, which approximately complies a variation as exponential functions. For nanofilms with a plane size which can be regarded as infinite, a pertaining analytical formalism is established and verified for the film thickness in an ultrathin limit of 10-100 nm, with the probe axis being perpendicular and tilt to film plane, respectively. The present research suggests a general testing scheme for characterizing flat, nanoscale, dielectric materials on metal substrates by means of electrostatic microscopy, which can realize an accurate quantitative analysis of dielectric permittivity.

Nondestructive Method for Mapping Metal Contact Diffusion in In2O3 Thin-Film Transistors

The channel width-to-length ratio is an important transistor parameter for integrated circuit design. Contact diffusion into the channel during fabrication or operation alters the channel width and this important parameter. A novel methodology combining atomic force microscopy and scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) with self-consistent modeling is developed for the nondestructive detection of contact diffusion on active devices. Scans of the surface potential are modeled using physically based Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulations when the transistor terminals are grounded and under biased conditions. The simulations also incorporate the tip geometry to investigate its effect on the measurements due to electrostatic tip-sample interactions. The method is particularly useful for semiconductor- and metal-semiconductor interfaces where the potential contrast resulting from dopant diffusion is below that usually detectable with scanning probe microscopy.

FDTD-based quantitative analysis of terahertz wave detection for multilayered structures

Experimental investigations have shown that terahertz pulsed imaging (TPI) is able to quantitatively characterize a range of multilayered media (e.g., biological issues, pharmaceutical tablet coatings, layered polymer composites, etc.). Advanced modeling of the interaction of terahertz radiation with a multilayered medium is required to enable the wide application of terahertz technology in a number of emerging fields, including nondestructive testing. Indeed, there have already been many theoretical analyses performed on the propagation of terahertz radiation in various multilayered media. However, to date, most of these studies used 1D or 2D models, and the dispersive nature of the dielectric layers was not considered or was simplified. In the present work, the theoretical framework of using terahertz waves for the quantitative characterization of multilayered media was established. A 3D model based on the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is proposed. A batch of pharmaceutical tablets with a single coating layer of different coating thicknesses and different refractive indices was modeled. The reflected terahertz wave from such a sample was computed using the FDTD method, assuming that the incident terahertz wave is broadband, covering a frequency range up to 3.5 THz. The simulated results for all of the pharmaceutical-coated tablets considered were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results obtained using a commercial TPI system. In addition, we studied a three-layered medium to mimic the occurrence of defects in the sample.

EFM data mapped into 2D images of tip-sample contact potential difference and capacitance second derivative

We report a simple technique for mapping Electrostatic Force Microscopy (EFM) bias sweep data into 2D images. The method allows simultaneous probing, in the same scanning area, of the contact potential difference and the second derivative of the capacitance between tip and sample, along with the height information. The only required equipment consists of a microscope with lift-mode EFM capable of phase shift detection. We designate this approach as Scanning Probe Potential Electrostatic Force Microscopy (SPP-EFM). An open-source MATLAB Graphical User Interface (GUI) for images acquisition, processing and analysis has been developed. The technique is tested with Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) and with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) nanowires for organic transistor applications.

Contrast inversion in electrostatic force microscopy imaging of trapped charges: tip-sample distance and dielectric constant dependence

We present a numerical and analytical study of the behavior of both electrostatic force and force gradient created by a charge trapped below the surface of a dielectric on an atomic force microscope tip as a function of the dielectric constant and tip-sample distance. As expected, the force decreases monotonously when the dielectric constant increases. However, a maximum in the dielectric constant dependence of the force gradient is found. This maximum occurs in the typical experimental parameters' range and depends on the tip-sample distance and the sample thickness. The analytical study permits us to understand the physical origin of this phenomenon and is in good agreement with the numerical simulation for small tip-sample distances. We also report a study exemplifying a possible contrast inversion in electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) signals while scanning, at different heights, two charges trapped in a sample having heterogeneous dielectric domains. In addition to this particular contrast inversion effect, this study can be considered as a way to gain insight into the mechanisms of EFM image formation as a function of the dielectric constant and tip-sample.