NIST researchers have developed a compact, tabletop device capable of producing 3D X-ray CT images of integrated circuits, allowing for comprehensive inspection of microchips without physical disassembly. The device uses a scanning electron microscope to generate X-rays, enabling detailed imaging of components as small as 160 nanometers. Collaborators from the University of Colorado at Boulder and Sandia National Laboratories verified the system’s capabilities by comparing its 3D images to original circuit designs, demonstrating its ability to detect defects and impurities at the atomic level. The device’s superconducting X-ray detectors, developed at NIST, allow for 3D imaging at different X-ray energies, identifying different elements in each circuit layer. While current scanning time is approximately three weeks, researchers are working to improve efficiency, aiming to reduce imaging time to less than an hour. This development has the potential to revolutionize microchip manufacturing by providing a new tool for quality control and verification.
Keywords: X-ray CT imaging, Integrated circuits, Scanning electron microscope
