Abstract: Described are various embodiments of an ion beam chamber fluid delivery system and method for delivering a fluid onto a substrate in an ion beam system during operation. In one embodiment, the system comprises: a chamber comprising an ion beam gun oriented so as to cause ions to impinge the substrate, said chamber having a fluid delivery conduit therein for delivering the fluid into the chamber; a transferable substrate stage for holding the substrate, the transferable stage further configured to move between an operating position and a payload position during non-operation, said payload position for receiving and removing said substrate; and a fluid delivery nozzle being in a fixed location relative to the transferable stage, at least during operation, with an outlet position that is configured to deliver a fluid to a predetermined location on said transferable stage.

Abstract: Described are various embodiments of an ion beam delayering system and method, topographically enhanced sample produced thereby, and imaging methods and systems related thereto. In one embodiment, a method comprises: identifying at least two materials in an exposed surface of the sample and predetermined operational characteristics of an ion beam mill that correspond with a substantially different ion beam mill removal rate for at least one of the materials; operating the ion beam mill in accordance with the predetermined operational characteristics to simultaneously remove the materials and introduce or enhance a topography associated with the materials and surface features defined thereby; acquiring surface data; and repeating the operating and acquiring steps for at least one more layer.

Abstract: Described are various embodiments of a system and method for verifying extracted integrated circuit (IC) features representative of a source IC and stored in a feature dataset structure. Generally, a set of extracted IC features imaged within a designated IC area is converted into a static tile image. The static tile image is then rendered for visualization as an interactive mapping of the feature dataset structure within the area. Corrections for one or more of the set of extracted IC features are received based on the static tile image and input corrections are executed on the feature dataset structure to produce an updated feature dataset structure.

Abstract: Described are reverse engineering data analysis systems, and integrated circuit component data processing tools and methods thereof. A system can comprise: a data storage device operable to store a data structure comprising extracted IC component data nodes representative of corresponding IC components of target IC and a connectivity therebetween; a graphical user interface (GUI); and a digital data processor operable on said data structure to: render, via said GUI, a dynamic graph of said data nodes; graphically migrate at least some of said data nodes on said dynamic graph as a function of a connectivity thereof with other nodes, wherein connected nodes are attractively displaced relative to one another such that said migrating nodes progressively cluster with related nodes to define distinct IC component clusters representative of distinct groups of related IC components of the target IC, whereas unconnected notes are repulsively displaced so to progressively distance said unconnected nodes.

Abstract: There is provided a method, system and computer program product to delayer a layer of a sample, the layer comprising one or more materials, in an ion beam mill by adjusting one or more operating parameters of the ion beam mill and selectively removing each of the one or more materials at their respective predetermined rates. There is also provided a method and system for obtaining rate of removal of a material from a sample in an ion beam mill.

Abstract: Described are various embodiments of a system and method for verifying extracted integrated circuit (IC) features representative of a source IC and stored in a feature dataset structure. Generally, a set of extracted IC features imaged within a designated IC area is converted into a static tile image. The static tile image is then rendered for visualization as an interactive mapping of the feature dataset structure within the area. Corrections for one or more of the set of extracted IC features are received based on the static tile image and input corrections are executed on the feature dataset structure to produce an updated feature dataset structure.

Abstract: Described are reverse engineering data analysis systems, and integrated circuit component data processing tools and methods thereof. A system can comprise: a data storage device operable to store a data structure comprising extracted IC component data nodes representative of corresponding IC components of target IC and a connectivity therebetween; a graphical user interface (GUI); and a digital data processor operable on said data structure to: render, via said GUI, a dynamic graph of said data nodes; graphically migrate at least some of said data nodes on said dynamic graph as a function of a connectivity thereof with other nodes, wherein connected nodes are attractively displaced relative to one another such that said migrating nodes progressively cluster with related nodes to define distinct IC component clusters representative of distinct groups of related IC components of the target IC, whereas unconnected notes are repulsively displaced so to progressively distance said unconnected nodes.

Abstract: There is provided a method, system and computer program product to delayer a layer of a sample, the layer comprising one or more materials, in an ion beam mill by adjusting one or more operating parameters of the ion beam mill and selectively removing each of the one or more materials at their respective predetermined rates. There is also provided a method and system for obtaining rate of removal of a material from a sample in an ion beam mill.

Abstract: There is provided a method, system and computer program product to delayer a layer of a sample, the layer comprising one or more materials, in an ion beam mill by adjusting one or more operating parameters of the ion beam mill and selectively removing each of the one or more materials at their respective predetermined rates. There is also provided a method and system for obtaining rate of removal of a material from a sample in an ion beam mill.

Abstract: Described are various embodiments of a system and method for verifying extracted integrated circuit (IC) features representative of a source IC and stored in a feature dataset structure. Generally, a set of extracted IC features imaged within a designated IC area is converted into a static tile image. The static tile image is then rendered for visualization as an interactive mapping of the feature dataset structure within the area. Corrections for one or more of the set of extracted IC features are received based on the static tile image and input corrections are executed on the feature dataset structure to produce an updated feature dataset structure.

Abstract: Devices, systems and methods relating to a distortion-correcting imaging for collecting image-related data of a substrate are disclosed, comprising: a beam emitter for directing an emission at an intended location on the substrate, and a signal detector for determining a signal intensity value associated with the emission; wherein the signal intensity value is associated with a corrected substrate location, said corrected substrate location determined from the intended substrate location and a correction factor, said correction factor being a function of said intended substrate location.

Abstract: Methods and systems for tracing circuitry on integrated circuits using focused ion beam based imaging techniques. A first component or node on an integrated circuit is coupled to a second component or node on the same integrated circuit. After an external bias is applied to the first component or node, a focused ion beam is applied to the integrated circuit and an image is taken using an electron detector. The features or components on the integrated circuit which are coupled to the second component or node will show up in high contrast on the resulting image. The method may also involve applying a bias to a node or component and then using focused ion beam imaging techniques (through an electron detector) to arrive at an image of the integrated circuit. Components coupled to the node will appear in high contrast in the resulting image.

Abstract: There is provided a method, system and computer program product to delayer a layer of a sample, the layer comprising one or more materials, in an ion beam mill by adjusting one or more operating parameters of the ion beam mill and selectively removing each of the one or more materials at their respective predetermined rates. There is also provided a method and system for obtaining rate of removal of a material from a sample in an ion beam mill.

Abstract: Described are various embodiments of methods and systems for tracing circuitry on integrated circuits using focused ion beam based imaging techniques. In one such embodiment, a method is provide for identifying functional componentry associated with a switchable power interface on an integrated circuit, wherein the switchable power interface comprises a source and a drain with a control switch therebetween, said control switch being controllable by a control signal during operation of the integrated circuit. The method comprises connecting, with deposited conductive material, the source and the drain; applying an external voltage bias to a power input of the switchable power interface via one of the source and the drain; exposing the integrated circuit to a focused ion beam; and gathering an image of the integrated circuit during exposure to determine areas of high contrast indicating functional componentry in operative connection with the switchable power interface.

Abstract: Methods and systems for tracing circuitry on integrated circuits using focused ion beam based imaging techniques. A first component or node on an integrated circuit is coupled to a second component or node on the same integrated circuit. After an external bias is applied to the first component or node, a focused ion beam is applied to the integrated circuit and an image is taken using an electron detector. The features or components on the integrated circuit which are coupled to the second component or node will show up in high contrast on the resulting image. The method may also involve applying a bias to a node or component and then using focused ion beam imaging techniques (through an electron detector) to arrive at an image of the integrated circuit. Components coupled to the node will appear in high contrast in the resulting image.

Abstract: A method of normalizing a bibliographic field of a structured field relational database is disclosed. The method comprises weighting potential candidate records according to the value in the corresponding field in the records, together with other related fields in the candidate record and other related records in the database. Each of the candidate records is successively evaluated and compared against an acceptable threshold. If the weight exceeds the threshold, the candidate record is returned from the query. Otherwise, a new entry in the database is created. Optionally, before creating such a new entry, the highest weighted candidate record may be compared against a minimally acceptable threshold and if the weight exceeds such lower threshold, the candidate is returned from the query.