Atom probe tomography analysis of SiGe fins embedded in SiO2: Facts and artefacts

•Compressed lateral dimension and oxygen penetration into the fin body are apparent.•Causes are converging and overlapping ion trajectories due to a unique tip shape.•A density correction algorithm rectifies the dimensional artefact.•The Si concentration in the SiGe fin is locally overestimated by 1–2 at%.•The artefacts depend on the ratio of the oxide/Si width in the emitter. We present atom probe analysis of 40nm wide SiGe fins embedded in SiO2 and discuss the root cause of artefacts observed in the reconstructed data. Additionally, we propose a simple data treatment routine, relying on complementary transmission electron microscopy analysis, to improve compositional analysis of the embedded SiGe fins. Using field evaporation simulations, we show that for high oxide to fin width ratios the difference in evaporation field thresholds between SiGe and SiO2 results in a non-hemispherical emitter shape with a negative curvature in the direction across, but not along the fin. This peculiar emitter shape leads to severe local variations in radius and hence in magnification across the emitter apex causing ion trajectory aberrations and crossings. As shown by our experiments and simulations, this translates into unrealistic variations in the detected atom densities and faulty dimensions in the reconstructed volume, with the width of the fin being up to six-fold compressed. Rectification of the faulty dimensions and density variations in the SiGe fin was demonstrated with our dedicated data treatment routine.