Abstract: A micro-spray cooling system beneficial for use in testers of electrically stimulated integrated circuit chips is disclosed. The system includes micro-spray heads disposed about a probe head. The spray heads and probe head are disposed in a sealed manner inside a spray chamber that, during operation, is urged in a sealing manner onto a sealing plate holding the integrated circuit under test. The atomized mist cools the integrated circuit and then condenses on the spray chamber wall. The condensed fluid is pumped out of the chamber and is circulated in a chiller, so as to be re-circulated and injected again into the micro-spray heads. The pressure inside the spray chamber may be controlled to provide a desired boiling point.

Abstract: An IREM image of an IC is obtained. The emission intensity at each emission site is measured/calculated and is compared to reference intensity. The calculated intensity may be plotted against reference intensities. In general, the majority of the plotted intensities would lie in a given range within a straight line. However, for devices that exhibit an abnormal emission, the plot would result in an easily observable deviation from the line. The calculated intensity is used to make a determination of logical “1” or “0” for each device, which is automatically stored together with the corresponding test vector. The calculated logical states are then tabulated and compared against tabulation of reference logical states.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing modulation mapping is disclosed. The apparatus includes a laser source, a motion mechanism providing relative motion between the laser beam and the DUT, signal collection mechanism, which include a photodetector and appropriate electronics for collecting modulated laser light reflected from the DUT, and a display mechanism for displaying a spatial modulation map which consists of the collected modulated laser light over a selected time period and a selected area of the IC.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing modulation mapping is disclosed. The apparatus includes a laser source, a motion mechanism providing relative motion between the laser beam and the DUT, signal collection mechanism, which include a photodetector and appropriate electronics for collecting modulated laser light reflected from the DUT, and a display mechanism for displaying a spatial modulation map which consists of the collected modulated laser light over a selected time period and a selected area of the IC.

Abstract: A system and method for thermal management of a device under test (DUT). In particular, a system is described for performing optical microscopy. The system includes a heat spreader window that consists of substantially undoped silicon. The window is configured to be coupled to a back side of a substrate of a DUT such that thermal energy from the DUT is spread to the heat spreader window. A contact region is coupled to the heat spreader window. The contact region is configured for contact with a solid immersion lens (SIL) optical system for optical examination of the DUT. A heat exchanger is coupled to the heat spreader window for removing the thermal energy from the DUT during its operation, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to allow access to the heat spreader window.

Abstract: Apparatus and processes are disclosed for milling copper adjacent to organic low-k dielectric on a substrate by directing a charged-particle beam at a portion of the copper and exposing the copper to a precursor sufficient to enhance removal of the copper relative to removal of the dielectric, wherein the precursor contains an oxidizing agent, has a high sticking coefficient and a long residence time on the copper, contains atoms of at least one of carbon and silicon in amount sufficient to stop oxidation of the dielectric, and contains no atoms of chlorine, bromine or iodine. In one embodiment, the precursor comprises at least one of the group consisting of NitroEthanol, NitroEthane, NitroPropane, NitroMethane, compounds based on silazane such as HexaMethylCycloTriSilazane, and compounds based on siloxane such as Octa-Methyl-Cyclo-Tetra-Siloxane. Products of the processes are also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing an integrated circuit employing optical interference fringes. During processing, one or more wavelength lights are directed on the integrated circuit and based upon the detection of interference fringes and characteristics of the same, further processing may be controlled. One implementation involves charged particle beam processing of an integrated circuit as function of detection and/or characteristics of interference fringes. A charged particle beam trench milling operation is performed in or on the substrate of an integrated circuit. Light is directed on the floor of the trench. Interference fringes may be formed from the constructive or destructive interference between the light reflected from the floor and the light from the circuit structures. Resulting fringes will be a function, in part, of the thickness and/or profile of the trench floor. Milling may be controlled as a function of the detected fringe patterns.

Abstract: An analysis system has a charged particle beam instrument and a scanning probe microscope operably coupled with the charged particle beam instrument. A stage defines an aperture, the stage is adapted to support the sample over the aperture and finely move the sample at least along an X and Y axis, the aperture further situated in an operable area of the charged particle beam. The charged particle beam is used to mill the sample, while the scanning probe microscope is used to measure elements exposed by the milling.

Abstract: An improved method, apparatus, and control/guiding software for localizing, characterizing, and correcting defects in integrated circuits, particularly open or resistive contact/via defects and metal bridging defects, using FIB technology. An apparatus for identifying an abnormal discontinuity in a contact/via in an integrated circuit comprising a focused ion beam system to scan the ion beam over the contact/via to do remove or deposit via material, a detector to collect a secondary particle signal from the contact/via material that gets removed, a sub-system for storing the secondary particle signal from the contact/via in time as well as x-y scan position, a sub-system for correlating secondary particle signals and identifying discontinuities in the correlated secondary particle signals, a sub-system for optimizing the display of the abnormal discontinuity; and a computer to implement software aspects of the system.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing modulation mapping is disclosed. The apparatus includes a laser source, a motion mechanism providing relative motion between the laser beam and the DUT, signal collection mechanism, which include a photodetector and appropriate electronics for collecting modulated laser light reflected from the DUT, and a display mechanism for displaying a spatial modulation map which consists of the collected modulated laser light over a selected time period and a selected area of the IC.

Abstract: A method of performing alignment of an array of probe tips of a probe card to corresponding contact pads for wafer probing applications by performing the steps of: obtaining a backside image of the wafer; overlaying a mapping of the contact pads over the backside image; selecting contact pads as landing points; obtaining an image of the probe tips array; comparing the landing points to corresponding positions of probe tips; and, if the positions of probe tips are not aligned with the landing point, rotating the probe card to align the positions of probe tips to the landing points.

Abstract: A collection optics having variable magnification, and which enable changing magnification without stopping the spray cooling. The variable magnification is provided by a turret that carries several objectives of different magnifications. A frame is provided above the turret, wherein the spray cooling is provided. By rotating the turret and changing its elevation, different objectives of the turret can be “docked” to a docking port within the frame.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing an integrated circuit employing optical interference fringes. During processing, light is directed on the integrated circuit and based upon the detection of interference fringes, further processing may be controlled. One implementation involves charged particle beam processing of an integrated circuit as function of detection of interference fringes. A charged particle beam trench milling operation is performed in or on the substrate of an integrated circuit. Light is directed on the floor of the trench. When the floor approaches the underlying circuit structures, some light is reflected from the floor of the trench and some light penetrates the substrate and is reflected off the underlying circuit structures. Interference fringes may be formed from the constructive or destructive interference between the light reflected from the floor and the light from the circuit structures. Processing may be controlled as function of the detection of interference fringes.

Abstract: Time-resolved emission can be used to measure loop-synchronous, small-signal voltage perturbation in integrated circuits. In this technique the measurements are completely non-invasive and so reflect the true device behavior. The time-dependant propagation delay caused by Vdd modulation also shows the expected qualitative signature. This technique should find applications in circuits with relatively fast clock-like circuits where loop-synchronous voltage pickup is limiting circuit behavior.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing modulation mapping is disclosed. The apparatus includes a laser source, a motion mechanism providing relative motion between the laser beam and the DUT, signal collection mechanism, which include a photodetector and appropriate electronics for collecting modulated laser light reflected from the DUT, and a display mechanism for displaying a spatial modulation map which consists of the collected modulated laser light over a selected time period and a selected area of the IC.

Abstract: An optical coupling apparatus for a dual column charged particle beam tool allowing both optical imaging of an area of an integrated circuit, as well as localized heating of the integrated circuit to form silicide. In one embodiment, optical paths from a whitelight source and a laser source are coupled together by way of first and second beam splitters so that a single optical port of the dual column tool may be utilized for both imaging and heating. In another embodiment, a single laser source is employed to provide both illumination for standard microscopy-type imaging, as well as localized heating. In a third embodiment, a single laser source provides heating along with localized illumination for confocal scanning microscopy-type imaging.

Abstract: A temperature control system for an optical microscope for inspecting an integrated circuit device under test (DUT) that includes a first fluid circulation system coupled to and supplying fluid to fluid injectors that spray fluid on the DUT and a second fluid circulation system for exchanging energy between fluids in the first fluid circulation system and the second fluid circulation system (e.g., via a heat exchanger). The fluid injectors may be configured to mix the fluid and pressurized air that can be sprayed on the DUT to cool and/or heat the DUT.

Abstract: A system for probing a DUT is disclosed, the system having a pulsed laser source, a CW laser source, beam optics designed to point a reference beam and a probing beam at the same location on the DUT, optical detectors for detecting the reflected reference and probing beams, and a collection electronics. The beam optics is a common-path polarization differential probing (PDP) optics. The common-path PDP optics divides the incident laser beam into two beams of orthogonal polarization—one beam simulating a reference beam while the other simulating a probing beam. Both reference and probing beams are pointed to the same location on the DUT. Due to the intrinsic asymmetry of a CMOS transistor, the interaction of the reference and probing beams with the DUT result in different phase modulation in each beam. This difference can be investigated to study the response of the DUT to the stimulus signal.

Abstract: A collection optics arrangement integrating an objective lens and a solid immersion lens. An objective lens housing has an objective lens mounted inside. A solid immersion lens (SIL) housing is slidably mounted onto said objective lens housing, and a solid immersion lens is mounted onto the SIL housing. A spring imparts resilient force resisting the sliding of the solid immersion lens housing with respect to the objective lens housing.

Abstract: A method for isolating the emitting devices may be applied to various emission and laser microscopy systems. A point spread function is convolved with CAD data of devices involved in the emission. The calculated signal intensity of the devices is varied until the difference between the calculated signal and the measured signal provides best fit. The best fit is performed for each on/off state for all configurations of the involved devices. The variance of the best curve fit for all of the configurations is used to assign probability to each state. The best fit indicates the correct state of each of the involved devices, thereby indicating which devices emit. At times, when the transistors are extremely close, a weighted solution is calculated. The weights are based on the probability of each solution.