Abstract: An improved wafer carrier device for carrying and holding semiconductor wafers that have a thickness of below 100 micrometers includes a transportable wafer chuck having an enclosed vacuum reservoir and a top surface configured to support a wafer. The top surface has one or more through-openings extending from the top surface to the vacuum reservoir and the wafer is held onto the top surface via vacuum from the vacuum reservoir drawn through the through-openings.

Abstract: Vibration damping apparatus for vibrating environment such as a light emission microscope and an integrated circuit test head includes a rigid member with remotely controlled clamping apparatus attached to spaced portions of the member. The clamping apparatus engage the microscope and the test head for reducing vibrations, and the clamping apparatus can be readily deactivated for moving the microscope or the test head for alignment purposes. Advantageously, two or more rigid members including pneumatic cylinders can be positioned around the device under test while permitting the use of mechanical probes for engaging nodes of an integrated circuit for test purposes.

Abstract: Emission microscopy testing of semiconductor integrated circuits is accomplished from the back side of a packaged die or a wafer but selectively milling the back surface using high speed (e.g., 40,000-60,000 rpm) milling tool having a 150 grit 0.125 inch diameter laterally translated at 3 inches per minute and taking cuts up to approximately 0.00025 inch (6 microns). In milling a packaged die, a trench is first milled in the molding material holding the die in the package and surrounding the die so that the tool can momentarily pause to switch directions off the die face. The die or wafer can be thinned to less than 200 microns for the emission microscopy testing.

Abstract: An emission microscope is mounted on a transportable structure for use on a test floor and encloses or garages an entire automatic test equipment head to facilitate high-speed testing. Test procedures allow development of static/fixed defects over time. A video mask can be developed based on emission sites on known good devices so that only emission from defect sites of bad devices under test are shown.