Voltage contrast based fault and defect inference in logic chips
AssigneeKLA-Tencor Corporation
InventorBrian Duffy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A voltage contrast imaging defect detection system includes a voltage contrast imaging tool and a controller coupled to the voltage contrast imaging tool. The controller is configured to generate one or more voltage contrast imaging metrics for one or more structures on a sample, determine one or more target areas on the sample based on the one or more voltage contrast imaging metrics, receive a voltage contrast imaging dataset for the one or more target areas on the sample from the voltage contrast imaging tool, and detect one or more defects based on the voltage contrast imaging dataset.
Claims38
A voltage contrast imaging defect detection system, comprising:
- a voltage contrast imaging tool;
- and
- a controller coupled to the voltage contrast imaging tool, wherein the controller includes one or more processors, the one or more processors configured to execute program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:
- analyze design data associated with a sample to generate one or more voltage contrast imaging metrics for one or more structures on the sample;
- determine one or more target areas on the sample based on the one or more voltage contrast imaging metrics;
- direct the voltage contrast imaging tool to generate a voltage contrast imaging dataset limited to the one or more target areas on the sample;
- receive the voltage contrast imaging dataset for the one or more target areas on the sample from the voltage contrast imaging tool;
- and
- detect one or more defects based on the voltage contrast imaging dataset.
A voltage contrast imaging defect detection apparatus, comprising:
- a particle beam source configured to generate one or more particle beams;
- one or more particle beam elements positioned to direct the one or more particle beams onto a sample;
- a detector positioned to receive one or more particles emanating from the sample;
- and
- a controller coupled to the detector, wherein the controller includes one or more processors, the one or more processors configured to execute program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:
- analyze design data associated with the sample to generate one or more voltage contrast imaging metrics for one or more structures on the sample;
- determine one or more target areas on the sample based on the one or more voltage contrast imaging metrics;
- generate a voltage contrast imaging dataset limited to the one or more target areas on the sample based on one or more particles emanating from the sample captured by the detector;
- and
- detect one or more defects based on the voltage contrast imaging dataset.
A voltage contrast imaging method, comprising:
- analyzing design data associated with a sample to generate one or more voltage contrast imaging metrics for one or more structures on a sample;
- determining one or more target areas on the sample based on the one or more voltage contrast imaging metrics;
- acquiring a voltage contrast imaging dataset limited to the one or more target areas on the sample;
- and
- detecting one or more defects based on the voltage contrast imaging dataset.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.