Advanced Microelectronics Metrology Workshop

A workshop titled “Advanced Metrology Needs for Addressing Critical Microelectronics Challenges” was held during the virtual NSLS-II and CFN Joint Users’ Meeting at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) on May 25, 2022. The workshop, consisting of facilities’ introductions by the organizers and seven invited talks from industry, academia, and national laboratories, provided a lively forum to discuss the current landscape of state-ofthe-art metrology needs for semiconductor manufacturing and associated challenges for the future of microelectronics. The workshop panel engaged in a discussion on the potential roles of national laboratories in addressing semiconductor metrology challenges, particularly BNL facilities, including the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), and Instrumentation Division. Dr. Satyavolu Papa Rao, vice president of research at NY CREATES, a non-profit affiliate corporation of the State University of New York (SUNY), delivered a keynote lecture providing an overview of NY CREATES and the Albany Nanotech Complex. He also discussed potential semiconductor research opportunities associated with the CHIPS Act and its National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC). Particularly addressed were the areas of heterogeneous integration, new materials, and advanced metrology, which are essential for enabling enhanced energy efficiency, connectivity, and ubiquity of future microelectronics. Dr. Papa Rao emphasized the potential roles of national laboratories and their user facilities such as synchrotron X-ray sources, stressing the need for easier user access for semiconductor research and wafer-scale, in-operando, and high-resolution metrology capabilities. Three workshop organizers gave brief overviews of the microelectronics capabilities at BNL. Dr. Yong Chu gave an overview of the nanoscale X-ray imaging capabilities of the NSLS-II. The key capabilities include nanoscale three-dimensional (3D) tomography and strain imaging, which are highly effective in visualizing the internal defects and strain field at the interface layers. Dr. Chang-Yong Nam described the CFN’s capabilities in structural metrology by electron microscopy and the development and characterization of new microelectronics materials, including extreme UV (EUV) photoresists and hybrid memristors. Also highlighted was the Quantum Materials Press (QPress), a machine-vision-assisted, automatic stacking system for two-dimensional (2D) material heterostructures, potentially critical for enabling next-generation devices beyond today’s cutting edge. Dr. Gabriella Carini gave