THREE-DIMENSIONAL ATOMIC ARRANGEMENT OBSERVATION SAMPLE FORMING METHOD

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To directly clarify a point defect in a crystal or an existing state of an impurity atom by three-dimensionally observing an atomic arrangement in a thin-film sample on a single atom level and recognizing its atom species. SOLUTION: In a scanning transmission electron microscope device, having an electric field emission type electron gun 8 with an acceleration voltage of 200 kV higher, a sample finely moving/tilting mechanism 12 allowing sample finely moving control on the order of nanometer and sample tilting control on the order of milliradian, a multichannel electron beam detector 13, and a computer 14 preloaded with controlling software for them and three-dimensional image processing software are constituted into a system, and a plurality of two-dimensional atomic arrangement projection images 6 varying in sample inclinationθare obtained, and then a highly precise three-dimensional atomic arrangement structure is constructed, by performing image processing of these plural image data. In this way, the cause of electric current leakage or an element defect such as a pressure-resistance defect can be analyzed accurately, because a point defect or an impurity atom and the like in a connection part, such as an interface and a contact in a ULSI element, a substrate or a thin film, can be observed directly.