Trend in Operando Nanoscale Characterization using Scanning Probe Microscopy

2017[9] THE HITACHI SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT NEWS ー 2017 Vol.8 Fine-grain control of the structure of materials is widely regarded as a crucial technology undergirding innovation in materials science. Today, thanks to nanotechnology initiatives launched at the beginning of the 21st century, materials and device elements with a fi ne grain structure can be produced and distributed as nano-products. According to the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS), prototype development for LSI chips with 10-nm gate lengths is already underway, and single-digit nanoscale elements are expected to become a reality within the next few years. The number of dopant atoms that can be present in the channel of this sort of nanosized transistor is on the order of 1. Developments like these dictate that, by necessity, cutting-edge nanoscale measurement technologies with single-atom resolution will become standard, and will be essential for innovation to occur. Measurement technologies that allow single-atom analysis in real space include transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning probe microscopy (SPM).