Identifying defects in a conductive structure of a wafer, based on heat transfer therethrough
US6971791B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 1, 2002 |
| Grant date | Dec 6, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 27, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L2924/3011
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Heat is applied to a conductive structure that includes one or more vias, and the temperature at or near the point of heat application is measured. The measured temperature indicates the integrity or the defectiveness of various features (e.g. vias and/or traces) in the conductive structure, near the point of heat application. Specifically, a higher temperature measurement (as compared to a measurement in a reference structure) indicates a reduced heat transfer from the point of heat application, and therefore indicates a defect. The reference structure can be in the same die as the conductive structure (e.g. to provide a baseline) or outside the die but in the same wafer (e.g. in a test structure) or outside the wafer (e.g. in a reference wafer), depending on the embodiment.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.