US 5,270,552 A · Method for separating specimen and method for analyzing the specimen separated by the specimen separating method

Abstract

When a desired portion is separated from an integrated circuit chip or a semiconductor wafer, the portion is separated without dividing the chip or the wafer, so that the separated specimen can be moved to a desired position, and the separated specimen can be set to a desired attitude. Therefore, various analyses on the specimen through TEM, SEM, SIMS and so on can be carried out. A minute piece of specimen is cut and separated from the substrate of a specimen by use of a three-dimensional minute processing technique and a micro-manipulation technique. A surface of the specimen is subjected to an FIB processing from at least two kinds of angles, the separated specimen being mechanically connected to an external probe in a step for separating a part of the specimen including a portion to be analyzed. The separated specimen is supported by the probe, being moved. The separated specimen is subjected to analysis through TEM, SEM, SIMS, etc.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for separating a minute portion from a specimen, comprising the steps of:

irradiating a surface of the specimen with focused ion beams from at least two different directions so that the specimen is subjected to focused ion beam processing;
connecting a probe with a portion of said specimen to be separated before said portion is separated from said specimen;
and
separating said portion from said specimen, while said separated portion of said specimen is supported by said probe.

1 more element

A method for separating a minute portion from a specimen, comprising the steps of:

irradiating a surface of the specimen with a focused ion beam substantially perpendicularly to said surface, said focused ion beam being rectangularly scanned in the vicinity of a portion to be separated from said specimen to form a hole having a predetermined depth;
tilting said surface of the specimen relative to an irradiation axis of said focused ion beam with an angle less the 90 degrees, and irradiation a side portion of said specimen forming said hole with the focused ion beam in order to form a bottom hole substantially parallel to the surface of said portion to be separated;
irradiation said surface of the specimen with said focused ion beam substantially perpendicularly to said surface, and scanning said focused ion beam along a circumferential portion to be separated so as to form trenches along said circumferential portion;
contacting a top portion of a probe of a manipulator with the surface of said portion to be separated;
connecting said top portion of said probe to the surface of said portion to be separated;
irradiating said surface of said specimen with said focused ion beam substantially perpendicularly to said surface, and scanning said focused ion beam along said circumferential portion to be separated so as to form a notched groove along said circumferential portion to separate said portion from said specimen;
and
moving said separated portion connected to said top portion of said probe to a predetermined position by said manipulator.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for separating specimen and method for analyzing the specimen separated by the specimen separating method

Life of this patent

Method for separating specimen and method for analyzing the specimen separated by the specimen separating method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14