Automated SEM nanoprobe tool
US9805910B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 24, 2015 |
| Grant date | Oct 31, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 24, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/24592
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Aspects of the present disclosure provide an apparatus comprising a primary beam column configured to direct a primary beam of energetic particles onto a location of interest on a sample containing one or more integrated circuit structures, a detector configured to produce a signal in response to detection of secondary charged particles generated as a result of an interaction between the primary beam of energetic particles and the location of interest, and a signal processor coupled to the detector configured to measure the transient behavior of generation of the secondary charged particles from the signal produced by the detector, and a characterizing module configured to characterize the location of interest by comparing the measured transient behavior to a predetermined reference transient behavior. The detector has a response that is fast enough to detect a transient behavior of generation of the secondary charged particles.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.