Researchers from IBM Research and Hamamatsu Photonics discussed the first prototype of a scanning time-resolved emission (STRE) system at the ASM International ISTFA 2019 conference in Portland, Oregon.
The prototype consisted of a high-sensitivity, low-noise, and low-jitter single-point Superconducting Single-Photon Detector (SSPD), combined with a specialized scanning head of a Laser Scanning Microscope (LSM). This idea was first proposed in late 2006, but required the right combination of detector, customization, and collaboration with a tool vendor to get to fruition.
In this paper, they presented the first preliminary results acquired using a test chip fabricated in 32 nm SOI. They also presented the first prototype of a Scanning Time-Resolved Emission (STRE) system using an SSPD and a modified LSM scanning head.
The system can be used to construct very useful pseudo 2D images of several different features of the TRE coming from the sample. After discussing the principle of operation and key features of the system, we presented preliminary data acquired from a test chip fabricated in 32 nm SOI technology node. Although the system suffers from several known inefficiencies and bottlenecks, it was able to show promising results in both frequency- and time-domain analysis. The low jitter of the SSPD allows for very precise delay measurements of few picoseconds.
It should be understood that this is still a prototype system under development and significant improvements in acquisition time, resolutions, and performance are expected in the near future.
Title: Time-Resolved Imaging of VLSI Circuits using a Single-Point Single-Photon Detector and a Scanning Head
Dr. Franco Stellari, Dr. Peilin Song, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, N.Y.
Mr. Yoshitaka Iwaki, Hamamatsu Photonics Deutschland GmbH, Herrsching, Germany
Stanley Kim, Manuel Villalobos, Hamamatsu Photonics, Bridgewater, N.J.
