Bruker Introducess New AFM Semiconductor Characterization Solution

Bruker, a provider of high-performance scientific instruments and solutions for molecular and materials research, launched Dimension Icon SSRM-HR, a new atomic force microscope (AFM) configuration including the scanning spreading resistance microscopy module.

The newly launched Dimension Icon SSRM-HR brings a new AFM configuration that integrates the large stage, low drift, and finest force control of the Dimension Icon platform with the scanning spreading resistance microscopy application module, SSRM-DIA probes, and high-end environmental control.

The product integrates Bruker’s well recognized Dimension Icon AFM platform with an environmental control system capable of 1ppm gas purity and high-vacuum control.

“As our customers continue to improve their products to follow the semiconductor roadmap, higher spatial resolution electrical characterization is a key requirement,” David V. Rossi, executive vice president and general manager of Bruker's AFM Business said in a statement.

“The new Dimension Icon SSRM-HR combines the leading productivity and large programmable stage of our top performance AFM platform with atomic resolution, and the most accurate carrier profiling optimization to meet the specific demands of next-generation technology nodes,” Rossi added.

The microscope is noted to bring new levels of performance, functionality, and AFM accessibility to nanoscale researchers in science and industry. The culmination of decades of large-sample AFM technology, the system has been designed from top to bottom to deliver revolutionary low drift and low noise that allows users to achieve artifact-free images in minutes instead of hours.

Designed specifically for high-resolution semiconductor characterization, the Dimension Icon SSRM-HR system provides vastly improved repeatability and spatial resolution in semiconductor carrier profiling. The environmental control system is compatible with all released Dimension Icon accessories and application modules, further extending its benefits to additional applications.

In related news, Bruker established a collaborative partnership with the University of Manchester's new National Graphene Institute (NGI) to leverage the benchmark speed, resolution and performance of the Dimension FastScan Atomic Force Microscope for research into the nanofabrication and nanoscale properties of graphene.