Patent · US Expired

IC tester joined with ion beam tester and the detection method of the failure part of IC

US5592099A · kind A · utility

13Cited by
4References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 7, 1995
Grant dateJan 7, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 7, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/303
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An IC test system analyzes a defective part in the inside of an IC chip. The IC test system irradiates an ion beam on the surface of the IC under test and displays a potential contrast image of wiring conductors under the surface of the IC device. The IC test system has improved operability and image quality as well as a capability of specifying a defective part of the IC under test. A stop pattern setting part is provided for setting a plurality of patterns to suspend a renewal operation of pattern generation in a test pattern generator. Whenever this stop pattern occurs, a pattern renewal action of the test pattern generator is stopped and repeatedly generates the stop pattern while an ion beam tester acquires image data. When the acquisition of the image data completes, the test pattern generator resumes the pattern renewal action. Different test patterns are alternatively applied to the IC under test and the resulting image data is either added or subtracted to improve an image quality. By further controlling on and off of a power source to the IC under test, the potential contrast image can be obtained with further certainty.

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