From Root Cause to Roadmap: Leveraging Advanced (S)TEM for More than Moore Technologies

Abstract (Scanning) Transmission Electron Microscopy ((S)TEM) is a routinely deployed characterization technique in semiconductor production environments as an indispensable tool for failure analysis and process monitoring. Increasingly, it is also proving essential for early-stage pathfinding, particularly as devices incorporate novel materials and architectures. In this work, we demonstrate how advanced TEM techniques—ranging from (Corrected) Lorentz (S)TEM for field-free magnetic imaging, to integrated differential phase contrast imaging (iDPC) for visualizing polar distortions, and cathodoluminescence (CL) analysis for probing optoelectronic functionality—can be leveraged to de-risk the integration of emerging materials in semiconductor device stacks. These methods are showcased through use cases, including InGaN quantum wells structures and oxide-based 2D electron gases (2DEGs). We also present skyrmionic imaging in multilayer magnetic films as a potential pathfinding tool for future spintronic semiconductor integration. Each example highlights how (S)TEM workflows reveal critical structure-property relationships with different techniques.