High-resolution strain measurement in shallow trench isolation structures using dynamic electron diffraction

We report a versatile electron diffraction strain measurement technique and its application to strain in shallow trench isolation (STI) device structures. Using a nanometer-sized probe formed by convergent-beam electrons in a field-emission transmission electron microscope, electron diffraction patterns were recorded with high spatial resolution. By fitting the diffraction patterns with a pattern matching technique using dynamic theory, it is shown that strain in the device can be measured with high accuracy to quantify the effects of different filling materials in STI structures.