Analytical

ARC possesses a solid set of analytical equipment which are used in three different modes.

Mode 1 – Support of ARC manufacturing, i.e. Quality Control.

Mode 2 – Contract Analytical Service for customers.

Mode 3 – Research & Development. ARC has a record of submitting SBIR/STTR proposals to US government agencies such as NASA, DOE, DoD, NIST and NIH and being awarded research grants. These grants typically require the analytical tool set to solve research problems inherent in these government grants.

Shown below are ARC’s Quality Control Tools which in accordance with ARC’s ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System are calibrated against NIST standards as required and other acceptable gages.

Shown below also are examples of ARC’s Analytical Service, and R&D Analyses.

Quality Control – SEM, SEM-EDS, TEM, FIB, XRF, AFM/MFM, Programmable Optical Microscope, Profilometer

Hitachi S4700 SEM Measurement
Figure 1. Hitachi S4700 SEM Measurement
XRF – Thin Film Deposition Thickness Measurements
Figure 5. XRF – Thin Film Deposition Thickness Measurements
Hitachi S3000 SEM/EDS
Firugre 2. Hitachi S3000 SEM/EDS
AFM/MFM
Figure 6. AFM/MFM
Hitachi HT770 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)
Figure 3. Hitachi HT770 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)*
Programmable Measuring Microscope
Figure 7. Programmable Measuring Microscope
Focused Ion Beam (FIB)
Figure 4. Focused Ion Beam (FIB)
Tencore Profilometer
Figure 8. Tencore Profilometer

Analytical Services

Analytical Services are offered on a commercially competitive hourly rate basis with a skilled Analytical Engineer. ARC customers are usually present to make the work more productive.

The Focused Ion Beam (FIB) tool is used as a mill to remove a small area and then imaging the area, see Fig.11. (far right)

Hitachi S 4700 SEM Bug
Figure 9. Hitachi S 4700 SEM Bug – Because we can
Semiconductor Chip de-capped for trace editing by FIB
Figure 10. Semiconductor Chip de-capped for trace editing by FIB
FIB Cross Section
Figure 11. FIB Cross Section

In Figure 12, right are three additional examples of FIB milling and then tilting the beam to obtain the image.

Further examples are available by contacting ARC.

Figure 12. FIB Analyses in Milling and SEM mode

Research & Development Analysis

Shown right are 1um NiFe magnetic particles totally encapsulated in Gold before release from the silicon substrate; The question to be answered was how thorough is the encapsulation – no exposed NiFe is permissible?

The particles once released in a solution, could be injected into a Lab animal for studies in MRI image intensification, drug delivery steering using a magnetic field.

SEM S4700, 1um Gold encapsulated NiFe particles
Figure 13. SEM S4700, 1um Gold encapsulated NiFe particles (NIST SBIR)

The curved fins shown right, the result of a dry etch process, are being examined before further integration into the single plate version of the MIS. For High Ion densities such as Plasma Fusion in Fusion Tokomaks, a single plate is sufficient. For Space applications, multiple plates are stacked using ARC’s FC150 to achieve an approximately 1 cm^3 cube.

SEM S4700 Curved Fins of a Micro Ion Spectrometer (MIS) (DOE SBIR)
Figure 14. SEM S4700 Curved Fins of a Micro Ion Spectrometer (MIS) (DOE SBIR)