Semiconductor sample preparation has traditionally required a tradeoff between throughput, precision, and surface quality - especially when accessing buried structures in advanced semiconductor devices and heterogeneous packages. FemtoChisel™ is designed to change that balance by bringing clean ultrafast laser processing into workflows that demand both throughput and control.
Rather than treating laser processing as a rough first step that must later be corrected, FemtoChisel™ repositions it as a controlled preparation technology. It is built for semiconductor sample preparation and failure analysis, where the goal is not simply to remove material quickly, but to expose the right structure with minimal damage and in a condition that supports downstream analysis.
FemtoChisel™ operates in the non-thermal ablation regime, enabling access to deeply buried regions of interest while minimizing microcracks, melt zones, or redeposition. That matters because sample preparation quality shapes everything that comes after it, from physical failure analysis to process development and reverse engineering. A cleaner access process reduces rework, improves targeting confidence, and shortens time to analysis.
This shift is especially important in modern semiconductor structures, where layers are thinner, packages are more heterogeneous, and regions of interest are harder to reach. In that environment, fast material removal alone is not enough. The workflow also needs to preserve surface integrity, maintain targeting accuracy, and stay adaptable across different material combinations.
At the center of FemtoChisel™ is a combination of intelligent multi-gas processing and a removable laser protective layer. The gas delivery system dynamically tracks the laser position to support clean, debris-free material removal, while the protective layer helps shield underlying structures from beam-induced damage. Together, they are designed to reduce redeposition, limit heat-affected zones, and create cleaner surfaces during laser ablation.
FemtoChisel™ also brings targeting and endpoint control into the laser step itself. Its correlative machine vision system integrates CT, SEM, and optical imaging data to guide automated navigation to regions of interest with few microns to sub-micron targeting accuracy. An integrated confocal height sensor supports in-process depth monitoring with single-digit nanometer resolution, helping users maintain control as they approach sensitive structures and critical interfaces.
Material adaptability is another key part of the platform. FemtoChisel™ combines software-selectable multi-wavelength operation with a long-travel, multi-axis stage, making it suitable for demanding semiconductor workflows that involve mixed materials and larger sample formats. Its architecture also includes a digital twin approach for system optimization, customization, and future upgrades.
FemtoChisel™ is built for more than one task. It supports semiconductor sample preparation and failure analysis, but it also extends into delayering, selective backside thinning, targeted access to buried structures, and reverse engineering workflows. In advanced packaging environments, it is designed to preserve device integrity across metals, polymers, and other heterogeneous stack materials while maintaining clean, taper-corrected cross-sections.
This makes FemtoChisel™ most valuable as a workflow enabler. It helps bridge the gap between non-destructive inspection, laser-based material access, and final high-resolution analysis. In practice, that means it can shorten the path to the region of interest, reduce the need for downstream FIB polishing, and support more efficient transitions into final FIB-SEM or TEM sample preparation steps.
The broader significance of FemtoChisel™ is that it changes what laser processing can do inside semiconductor workflows. Instead of acting only as a high-speed roughing tool, it becomes a more precise and better-integrated method for exposing buried structures, preparing cleaner cross-sections, and supporting reliable downstream analysis.
That change aligns with how semiconductor analysis is evolving. As devices become more complex, preparation workflows need to deliver speed without trading away surface integrity or targeting precision. FemtoChisel™ answers that need by bringing those requirements together on one platform.
FemtoChisel™ matters because it addresses a longstanding preparation problem at its source. It combines non-thermal ultrafast laser ablation with cleaner material removal, correlative targeting, and nanometer-level endpoint control, helping semiconductor teams access buried structures faster and with fewer downstream compromises. The result is a preparation workflow that is better aligned with the realities of modern semiconductor analysis.
FemtoChisel™ is a femtosecond laser platform designed for semiconductor sample preparation and failure analysis, with capabilities that support targeted internal access, clean cross-sectioning, process development, and reverse engineering.
Its key differentiators include intelligent multi-gas processing, a removable laser protective layer, correlative machine vision targeting, and confocal in-process depth monitoring, all aimed at improving cleanliness, control, and reproducibility.
Advanced packaging involves heterogeneous stacks and buried regions of interest that are difficult to reach cleanly. FemtoChisel™ is designed to preserve device integrity across those mixed materials while providing high-throughput access and cleaner cross-sections.
By reducing redeposition and improving surface quality during laser processing, FemtoChisel™ can reduce the amount of downstream FIB polishing required and create a cleaner starting point for final high-resolution analysis.