FIB delayering endpoint detection by monitoring sputtered materials using RGA
AssigneeApplied Materials Israel Ltd.
InventorYehuda Zur
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of milling a sample that includes a first layer formed over a second layer, where the first and second layers are different materials, the method comprising: milling the region of the sample by scanning a focused ion beam over the region a plurality of iterations in which, for each iteration, the focused ion beam removes material from the sample generating byproducts from the milled region; detecting, during the milling, the partial pressures of one or more byproducts with a residual gas analyzer positioned to have a direct line of sight to the milled region; generating, in real-time, an output detection signal from the residual gas analyzer indicative of an amount of the one or more byproducts detected; and stopping the milling based on the output signal.
Claims20
A method of milling a sample that includes a first layer formed over a second layer, where the first and second layers are different materials, the method comprising:
- milling a region of the sample by scanning a focused ion beam over the region a plurality of iterations in which, for each iteration, the focused ion beam removes material from the sample generating byproducts from the milled region;
- detecting, during the milling, partial pressures of one or more byproducts with a residual gas analyzer positioned to have a direct line of sight to the milled region;
- generating, in real-time, an output detection signal from the residual gas analyzer indicative of an amount of the one or more byproducts detected;
- and
- stopping the milling based on the output signal.
A system for milling a sample that includes a first layer formed over a second layer, where the first and second layers are different materials, the system comprising:
- a vacuum chamber;
- a sample support configured to hold a sample within the vacuum chamber during a milling process;
- a focused ion beam (FIB) column configured to generate a focused ion beam direct a charged particle beam into the vacuum chamber;
- a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including a plurality of computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
- mill a region of the sample by scanning the focused ion beam over the region a plurality of iterations in which, for each iteration, the focused ion beam removes material from the sample generating byproducts from the milled region;
- detect, during the milling, partial pressures of one or more byproducts with a residual gas analyzer positioned to have a direct line of sight to the milled region;
- generate, in real-time, an output detection signal from the residual gas analyzer indicative of an amount of the one or more byproducts detected;
- and
- stop the milling based on the output signal.
A non-transitory computer-readable memory that stores instructions for milling a sample that includes a first layer formed over a second layer, where the first and second layers are different materials, by:
- milling a region of the sample by scanning a focused ion beam over the region a plurality of iterations in which, for each iteration, the focused ion beam removes material from the sample generating byproducts from the milled region;
- detecting, during the milling, partial pressures of one or more byproducts with a residual gas analyzer positioned to have a direct line of sight to the milled region;
- generating, in real-time, an output detection signal from the residual gas analyzer indicative of an amount of the one or more byproducts detected;
- and
- stopping the milling based on the output signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.