Raith publishes application note on SIMS and design-based navigation for failure analysis

21 October 2026. RAITH has published a new application note titled "From anomaly detection to root cause: SIMS and design-based navigation in semiconductor failure analysis." The document describes how high-resolution SIMS imaging combined with design-based navigation supports a workflow from anomaly detection to targeted root-cause investigation.

The application note is based on the RAITH IONMASTER SIMS system. According to the release, engineers can use the system to identify chemical irregularities, localize them within the device architecture, and perform targeted 3D analysis of critical structures.

The release states that one key advantage is the ability to capture a complete mass spectrum at every image pixel. This allows unexpected contaminants and material anomalies to be identified retrospectively, without requiring predefined target species before analysis.

The note walks through a complete semiconductor failure-analysis workflow. RAITH says the combination of hyperspectral SIMS imaging, full-spectrum acquisition and design-based navigation is intended to accelerate root-cause investigations.

RAITH notes that as device geometries shrink, trace contaminants, buried defects and process-induced anomalies often remain undetected by conventional imaging techniques. The release says localizing trace contamination and visualizing its three-dimensional distribution helps engineers understand degradation mechanisms and potential future failure modes.

Source: Raith news