Defect analysis
AssigneeFEI Company
InventorThomas G. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for analyzing defects comprises determining coordinates of a defect using a wafer inspection tool; identifying a structure of interest near the defect coordinates; directing a focused ion beam toward the wafer to expose the structure of interest; and forming an image of the exposed structure of interest, wherein the focused ion beam is directed to the mill at a location corresponding to the identified structure of interest rather than at the coordinates of the defect.
Claims22
A method for analyzing a circuit defect, comprising:
- determining coordinates of a defect on a wafer using a wafer inspection tool;
- identifying a structure of interest near the defect coordinates;
- forming, with an ion beam, a transmission electron microscope (TEM) lamella that includes the structure of interest, wherein the TEM lamella is formed from an area based on the identified structure rather than the coordinates of the defect, and wherein the ion beam is directed to mill at a location corresponding to the identified structure of interest rather than at the coordinates of the defect;
- and
- forming a TEM image of the structure of interest.
A method for analyzing a circuit defect, comprising:
- determining coordinates of a defect on a wafer using a wafer inspection tool;
- identifying a structure of interest near the defect coordinates;
- directing a focused ion beam toward the wafer to expose the structure of interest, wherein the focused ion beam is directed to mill at a location corresponding to the identified structure of interest rather than at the coordinates of the defect;
- and
- forming an image of the exposed structure of interest.
An apparatus for analyzing defects in an integrated circuit, comprising:
- a wafer analysis tool programmed to identify defects on a wafer and to provide coordinates of the defects;
- a dual beam system including a focused ion beam column and a scanning electron microscope column, the dual beam system programmed to perform an operation to expose a subsurface region of interest;
- and
- a computer programmed to receive defect coordinates from the wafer analysis tool, determine a structure of interest within the subsurface region of interest corresponding to the defect and direct the dual beam system to perform a specified operation to expose the subsurface region of interest.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.