Recently, a research team from Cornell University, in collaboration with TSMC and Advanced Semiconductor Materials (ASM), has made significant breakthroughs in the field of semiconductor imaging. For the first time, high-resolution 3D imaging technology has been used to successfully observe atomic level defects inside chips, known as "mouse bite" defects.

This achievement was published in the journal Nature Communications on February 23 this year, marking a major breakthrough in the semiconductor industry and providing a new tool for debugging and troubleshooting high-end chips.

This study was led by Professor David A. Muller, and the research team used electronic stack imaging technology (ptychography) to capture subtle defects inside transistors. These "mouse bite" defects, similar to tiny notches at the transistor interface, are formed during the chip manufacturing process and interfere with electron flow, thereby affecting chip performance. This imaging technology is the result of a collaboration between Cornell University, TSMC, and semiconductor materials company ASM, and has the potential to impact almost all forms of modern electronic devices, from smartphones and cars to artificial intelligence data centers and quantum computing.

Nowadays, the transistor channel width of high-performance chips is only 15 to 18 atoms, and any slight structural deviation can cause significant performance loss. M ü ller metaphorically said, "Transistors are like 'microchannels' of electrons. The rougher the inner wall, the slower the flow of electrons, and accurate measurement of their state is crucial." In the past, people could only infer the internal structure of chips through projection images. Now, with this technology, engineers can directly observe the chip state after key processes and adjust process parameters accurately.

Professor Muller pointed out that this is currently the only method that can directly observe such atomic level defects and will become an important characterization tool in the chip development stage, helping engineers to more accurately identify faults and complete debugging, especially in the development stage.

Tiny defects have always been a major challenge in the semiconductor industry, and with the increasing complexity of technology, the size of components has shrunk to the atomic scale. The focus of this study is also the core of computer chips - transistors: small switches that allow current to flow through a channel controlled by the switch to open and close.

The research team plans to further expand the application of electronic overlay imaging technology, study and reduce defects, and further improve chip reliability to meet the growing demand for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

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