Patent · US Active

Inspection apparatus for inspecting semiconductor devices using charged particles

US11754517B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
7References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 12, 2021
Grant dateSep 12, 2023
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 28, 2042

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L22/14
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An inspection apparatus and a method of inspecting a semiconductor device are disclosed. The inspection apparatus includes a stage on which a semiconductor device is positioned, a first light source irradiating a high-frequency light onto an inspection area of the semiconductor device to reduce a potential barrier of a PN junction in the semiconductor device, a beam scanner arranged over the semiconductor device and irradiating a charged particle beam onto the inspection area of the semiconductor device to generate secondary electrons, and a defect detector generating a detection image corresponding to the inspection area and detecting, based on a voltage contrast between a reference image and a plurality of detection images, a defect image indicating a defect in the semiconductor device from among the plurality of detection images.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.