Method of removing or deposting material on a surface including material selected to decorate a particle on the surface for imaging
US8026501B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 26, 2010 |
| Grant date | Sep 27, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 26, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N1/32
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method that may be applied to imaging and identifying defects and contamination on the surface of an integrated circuit is described. An energetic beam, such as an electron beam, may be directed at a selected IC location having a layer of a solid, fluid, or gaseous reactive material formed over the surface. The energetic beam disassociates the reactive material in the region into chemical radicals that either chemically etch the surface preferentially, or deposit a thin layer of a conductive material over the local area around the energetic beam. The surface may be examined as various layers are selectively etched to decorate defects and/or as various layers are locally deposited in the area around the energetic beam. SEM imaging and other analytic methods may be used to identify the problem more easily.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.