Electron microscopy shows ‘mouse bite’ defects in semiconductors

Cornell researchers, in collaboration with TSMC and ASM, have used electron ptychography and a custom pixel array detector (EMPAD) to image atomic-scale defects in semiconductor transistors for the first time. The technique reveals 'mouse bite' interface roughness defects in transistor channels as narrow as 15–18 atoms wide. Published in Nature Communications, the work provides a direct characterization tool for debugging chip fabrication processes, with implications for phones, data centers, and quantum computing.