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To maintain a competitive edge in the MEMS sector developers must respond rapidly to the research and development requirements of an expanding market, production issues and customer and end-user related problems. The most time and cost efficient way of doing this is to use the most appropriate analytical techniques to get the right answers fast. Problems are often related to the composition or chemistry of the surface or near-surface surface region, then the traditionally used techniques of optical microscopy, electron microscopy or EDX/ EDXS/ EDAX will probably not provide the solution. In such circumstances, developers need surface analysis and depth profiling.

Loughborough Surface Analysis Ltd (LSA) and Midlands Surface Analysis (MSA), in association with the Nanotechnology KTN (NanoKTN) and the National Microelectronics Institute (NMI), are organizing a one-day short course addressing surface analysis and depth profiling techniques and how they can be used to help with a variety of challenges relating to MEMS. The short course draws upon a wealth of real-world experience in using these techniques to assist with issues such as:

• staining
  
• particulates
  
• delamination
  
• wear debris
  
• contamination
  
• impurities
  
• surface topography
  
• surface mechanical properties

The short course will be held at Aston University, Birmingham, located at the heart of England, with good road, rail and air links to all parts of the UK and continental Europe. The short course will consist of a series of seminars given by experts in the field on the individual techniques (including case studies), together with practical demonstrations on some of the techniques in the laboratories of MSA.
Free analysis and evaluation of participants' own samples may be undertaken by prior arrangement. Opportunities will also be provided to discuss participants' specific cases either in an open forum or in private with the analysts present.

Who should attend?

This short course provides a unique opportunity for research and development engineers, failure analysts, process and design engineers, yield improvement managers and quality control managers to learn about or refresh their knowledge of surface analytical and depth profiling techniques. If you have the task of fixing the material related problems when they arise then this is the course for you.

Workshop Agenda

9.30 Coffee and Registration
10.00 Welcome, Introduction and overview of short course
Mike Petty, LSA
James Johnstone, NanoKTN
Paul Jarvie, NMI
10.30 X-ray photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) - provides chemical state information
11.00 Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) - elemental information, high spatial resolution
11.15 Coffee break
11.45 Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) - ultra-high sensitivity to all elements
12.30 Laser induced mass analysis (LIMA) - particulate analysis
12.45 Atomic force microscopy (AFM), nano hardness & nano scratch testing
13.00 Lunch, networking
14.00 Laboratory demonstration of XPS, AES and AFM techniques, to include customer sample analysis
15.30 Tea break
15.45 Clinic / open forum
16.30 Close

(There will be the opportunity for participants to discuss problems of a commercially confidential nature with representative from LSA and MSA on a one to one basis after the close of the meeting. If required, NDAs should be supplied to cover items discussed in these separate meetings).