# US 10,373,881 B2 · Defect analysis > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,373,881 B2 - Document ID: US10373881B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/851,357 - Filed: 2017-12-21 - Published: 2018-06-28 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-21 - Assignees: FEI Company - Applicants: FEI Company - Inventors: Thomas G. Miller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373881B2 ## CPC - H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects} - G01R 31/2831: {Testing of materials or semi-finished products, e.g. semiconductor wafers or substrates (G01R31/318511 takes precedence; testing during manufacture H10P74/00)} - G01R 31/307: of integrated circuits - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the coordinates of the defect on the wafer using the wafer inspection tool comprises determining the coordinates of the defect in an optical inspection system, a thermal inspection system, an electrical inspection system, or an electron beam inspection system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 in which identifying the structure of interest near the defect coordinates comprises using stored circuit design data to identify a structure of interest near the defect coordinates. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 in which identifying the structure of interest near the defect coordinates comprises using an image to identify a structure of interest near the defect coordinates. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 in which identifying the structure of interest near the defect coordinates comprises identifying the structure of interest nearest to the defect coordinates. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising specifying a type of structure of interest and in which identifying the structure of interest nearest the defect coordinates comprises a structure of interest of the specified type. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 in which identifying the structure of interest of the specified type comprises identifying the structure of interest of the specified type nearest the defect coordinates. ### Claim 8 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. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 in which: directing the focused ion beam toward the wafer to expose the structure of interest comprises directing a focused ion beam toward the wafer to mill a cross section exposing the structure of interest; and forming the image of the exposed structure of interest comprises forming a scanning electron beam image. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 in which directing the focused ion beam toward the wafer to expose the structure of interest comprises directing a focused ion beam toward the wafer to form a lamella including the structure of interest. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 in which forming the image of the exposed structure of interest comprises forming a transmission electron beam image. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 in which determining the defect coordinate in the wafer inspection tool comprises determining a defect coordinate in an optical inspection system, a thermal inspection system, an electrical inspection system, or an electron beam inspection system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 in which identifying the structure of interest near the defect coordinates comprises identifying the structure of interest nearest to the defect coordinates. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 further comprising specifying a type of structure of interest and in which identifying the structure of interest near the defect coordinates comprises a structure of interest of the specified type. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 in which identifying the structure of interest near the defect comprises identifying the structure of interest of the specified type near the defect coordinates. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 in which identifying the structure of interest near the defect coordinates comprises using stored circuit design data to identify a structure of interest near the defect coordinates. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 in which identifying the structure of interest near the defect coordinates comprises using an image to identify a structure of interest near the defect coordinates. ### Claim 18 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 in which identifying a structure of interest is performed by a wafer inspection tool, an ion beam system, or a computer in data communication with the wafer inspection tool and the ion beam system. ### Claim 19 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. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 in which the wafer analysis tool classifies the defects and the specified operation depends on the classification. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 in which the wafer analysis tool is an optical inspection tool, a thermal inspection system, and electrical inspection system, or an electron beam inspection tool. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 in which the focused ion beam column comprises a liquid metal ion source or a plasma ion sources.