Application of EBIC/EBIRCH in Failure Analysis for 2nm SRAM Failures: Case Studies

Fault Isolation (FI) serves as a critical link between electrical failure characterization and physical root-cause analysis in advanced semiconductor technologies. As semiconductor technology node scales into the sub-7nm regime, traditional optics-based isolation methods face diffraction-limited resolution, reducing their effectiveness in defect localization. This work explores the electron-beam-based techniques - specifically Electron Beam Induced Current (EBIC) and Electron Beam Induced Resistance Change (EBIRCH), as high-resolution alternatives for Local Fault Isolation (LFI). Leveraging the ultra-high resolution of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), these techniques enable identification of FET-level short/open, well anomaly due to anneal/doping failure, and other types of subtle defects undetectable by global screening. Through three different cases studies, this paper highlights practical challenges and demonstrates the effectiveness of EBIC and EBIRCH in FI in advanced nodes.