Thin film analysis

Thin film analysis

Electronic Components (RoHS)

PCB Thickness and Composition

Controlling the thickness and composition of layers in PCB devices is important for their durability as well as for soldering or bonding.

Layer Analysis

Bruker offers analytical solutions to investigate PCB layers with EDS (StrataGEM) and micro-XRF (XMethod) techniques.

Where the electron excitation is particularely good for thinner films (up to hundreds of nm) and light elements, micro-XRF can investigate thicker layers and stacks of layers. Both StrataGEM and XMethod can simulaneously determine the mass coverage/thickness and the layers composition of films.

Application Examples

RAM microchip elemental distribution map

High Resolution Mapping of a Semiconductor RAM Microchip Using STEM-EDS in SEM (T-SEM)

Element distribution mapping of semiconductor nanostructures with X-ray based methods is not always straight forward. The need of nanoscale spatial resolution and X-ray peak overlaps are common challenges when investigating semiconductor materials. Sometimes it can be beneficial to use the SEM instead of expensive TEM tools and time for characterization.

Map Elements in a Semiconductor

X-ray spectrum section for tungsten silicide in the energy region of 1.6 - 2.0 keV showing the high spectral resolution of WDS

Elemental Identification in Semiconductor Microchips Materials

Elemental identification in semiconductor materials is done with confidence using WDS technique thanks to its higher energy resolution, energy peak overlaps are easily resolved.

Thin Film Analysis with SEM micro-XRF

As X-rays may pass through matter, X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) allows the determination of layer thickness. Using micro-XRF on SEM, the layer analysis (thickness and composition) is rendered feasible with spatial resolution at the micrometer scale. Layer analysis is strongly based on quantification using atomic fundamental parameter (FP).

Resources & Publications

Related Products

EDS, WDS, EBSD, SEM Micro-XRF

Electron Microscope Analyzers

To extend your SEM/TEM analytical power, Bruker’s electron microscope analyzers EDS, WDS, EBSD and Micro-XRF on SEM offer the most comprehensive compositional and structural analysis of materials, including analytical software for advanced materials research, process development and failure analysis.

EDS, WDS, EBSD and Micro-XRF

Micro-XRF spectrometers

Micro X-ray Fluorescence

Elemental analysis (Na-U) of inhomogeneous or irregularly shaped samples