Three-dimensional imaging of integrated-circuit activity using quantum defects in diamond

Abstract

The continuous scaling of semiconductor-based technologies to micron and sub-micron regimes has resulted in higher device density and lower power dissipation. Many physical phenomena such as self-heating or current leakage become significant at such scales, and mapping current densities to reveal these features is decisive for the development of modern electronics. However, advanced non-invasive technologies either offer low sensitivity or poor spatial resolution and are limited to two-dimensional spatial mapping. Here we use near-surface nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond to probe Oersted fields created by current flowing within a multi-layered integrated circuit in pre-development. We show the reconstruction of the three-dimensional components of the current density with a magnitude down to about $\approx 10\mu A/\mu {\mathrm{m}}^2$ and sub-micron spatial resolution at room temperature. We also report the localisation of currents in different layers and observe anomalous current flow in an electronic chip. Our method provides, therefore a decisive step toward three-dimensional current mapping in technologically relevant nanoscale electronics chips.

arXiv commentFeatured in Parker, M., Imaging circuits in three dimensions. Nat Electron 7, 94 (2024)

References in corpus (32)

• The nitrogen-vacancy colour centre in diamond
• Sensing electric fields using single diamond spins
• Temperature dependence of the nitrogen-vacancy magnetic resonance in diamond
• Probing condensed matter physics with magnetometry based on nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond
• Avoiding power broadening in optically detected magnetic resonance of single NV defects for enhanced DC-magnetic field sensitivity
• A subpicotesla diamond magnetometer
• Magnetic spin imaging under ambient conditions with sub-cellular resolution
• High sensitivity magnetic imaging using an array of spins in diamond
• Quantum imaging of current flow in graphene
• Low temperature studies of the excited-state structure of Nitrogen-Vacancy color centers in diamond
• Classification of interacting electronic topological insulators in three dimensions
• The temperature shifts of the resonances of the NV- center in diamond
• Magnetic measurements on micron-size samples under high pressure using designed NV centers
• Quantum coherence control at near 1000 K
• Spin-strain interaction in nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond
• Nanoscale imaging of current density with a single-spin magnetometer
• Spatial mapping of band bending in semiconductor devices using in-situ quantum sensors
• Diamond magnetometry and gradiometry towards subpicotesla DC field measurement
• Single spin stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy
• Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers in Diamond for Current Imaging at the Redistributive Layer Level of Integrated Circuits
• Quantum Criticality of Topological Phase Transitions in 3D Interacting Electronic Systems
• Magnetic Field Fingerprinting of Integrated Circuit Activity with a Quantum Diamond Microscope
• Improved current density and magnetisation reconstruction through vector magnetic field measurements
• Widefield imaging of superconductor vortices with electron spins in diamond
• Wide bandwidth instantaneous RF spectrum analyzer based on nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond
• Direct reconstruction of two-dimensional currents in thin films from magnetic field measurements
• Simultaneous Wide-field Imaging of Phase and Magnitude of AC Magnetic Signal Using Diamond Quantum Magnetometry
• Low temperature photo-physics of single NV centers in diamond
• High speed microcircuit and synthetic biosignal widefield imaging using nitrogen vacancies in diamond
• An Integrated Widefield Probe for Practical Diamond Nitrogen-Vacancy Microscopy
• Combined synchrotron X-ray diffraction and NV diamond magnetic microscopy measurements at high pressure
• Reconstruction-free quantum sensing of arbitrary waveforms

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Quantum enhanced electric field mapping within semiconductor devices
• Towards high spatial resolution magnetic imaging with a compact practical quantum diamond microscope
• A compact, portable device for microscopic magnetic imaging based on diamond quantum sensors
• Continuous drive heterodyne microwave sensing with spin qubits in hexagonal boron nitride
• Efficient Detection of Statistical RF Fields at High Magnetic Field with a Quantum Sensor
• High-Resolution Atomic Magnetometer-Based Imaging of Integrated Circuits and Batteries
• Bias-field-free operation of nitrogen-vacancy ensembles in diamond for accurate vector magnetometry
• Sensing Electric Currents in an a-IGZO TFT-Based Circuit Using a Quantum Diamond Microscope