Enhanced Raman spectroscopy analysis for contamination detection on microelectronic devices using gold nanoclusters grown by DC magnetron sputtering

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is one of the most powerful analytical techniques for the identification of molecules in microelectronics industry for failure analysis protocols. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is one of the most powerful analytical techniques for the identification of molecules in the microelectronics industry for failure analysis protocols. In this work, dry-processed gold nanoclusters were prepared by magnetron sputtering deposition to promote the enhancement of the Raman signal from selected common polymers found in the hard disk drive as surface contamination. The optimized sputtering conditions were applied for SERS on poly-carbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The Raman spectrum showed the average Raman signal intensity gain at about 114%, 78%, 254%, and 226%, respectively. The SERS with gold nanoclusters, prepared by magnetron sputtering, demonstrates that this method is a clean, simple, highly performing analytical method for failure analysis and can be an alternative method over the use of colloidal gold nanoparticles for contamination investigation in industrial failure analysis procedures, where the sample cleanness during the analysis is critical, as in the microelectronic industry.