# US 7,612,321 B2 · Optical coupling apparatus for a dual column charged particle beam tool for imaging and forming silicide in a localized manner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,612,321 B2 - Document ID: US7612321B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/222,932 - Filed: 2005-09-08 - Published: 2006-04-13 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2004-10-12 - Assignees: DCG Systems, Inc. - Inventors: Chun-Cheng Tsao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7612321B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/3056: {for microworking, e. g. etching of gratings or trimming of electrical components} - H01J 37/228: {whereby illumination or light collection take place in the same area of the discharge} - H10W 20/023: {the interconnections being through-semiconductor vias} - H10W 20/0234: {comprising etching via holes that stop on pads or on electrodes} - H10W 20/0242: {comprising etching via holes from the back sides of the chips, wafers or substrates} - H10W 20/0261: {characterised by the filling method or the material of the conductive fill} - H10W 20/067: {by modifying the pattern of conductive parts} - H10W 20/2125: {Top-view shapes} - H01J 2237/2482: Optical means - H01J 2237/31749: Focused ion beam - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An optical coupling apparatus for a dual column charged particle beam tool allowing both optical imaging of an area of an integrated circuit, as well as localized heating of the integrated circuit to form silicide. In one embodiment, optical paths from a whitelight source and a laser source are coupled together by way of first and second beam splitters so that a single optical port of the dual column tool may be utilized for both imaging and heating. In another embodiment, a single laser source is employed to provide both illumination for standard microscopy-type imaging, as well as localized heating. In a third embodiment, a single laser source provides heating along with localized illumination for confocal scanning microscopy-type imaging. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a column charged particle beam tool; a laser source; a beam splitter optically coupled with the laser source; a quarter-waveplate optically coupled with the laser source; a photo-detector optically coupled with the beam splitter; a frame grabber electrically coupled with the photo-detector; at least one scan mirror optically coupled with the beam splitter; a scanning lens optically coupled with the at least one scan mirror and an objective lens; at least one beam scanner configured to move the at least one scan mirror to alter an optical path of light from the laser source through an optical port in the column of the column charged particle beam tool and scan the light over an area of a sample; and a scanning controller electrically coupled with the at least one beam scanner, the scanning controller configured to control the movement of the at least one scan mirror via the at least one beam scanner. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one scan mirror comprising a horizontal scan mirror optically coupled with a vertical scan mirror. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a scanning lens optically coupled with the at least one scan mirror and the objective lens. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an alignment mirror optically coupled with the scanning lens and the objective lens. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a spatial filter optically coupled with the beam splitter and the photo-detector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, the spatial filter comprising: a collimation lens optically coupled with a fiber and the beam splitter; the fiber optically coupled with the laser source; a focusing lens optically coupled with the beam splitter and the photo-detector; and a pinhole structure optically coupled with the focusing lens and the photo-detector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photo-detector is a photodiode or a photo multiplier. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beam scanner is a galvanometric scanner, an acousto-optic scanner, or a rotating polygon. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a fiber coupling lens optically-coupled with the laser source; a first end of an optical fiber optically coupled with the fiber coupling lens; and a collimating lens optically coupled with a second end of the optical fiber and the beam splitter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein light from the laser source is adapted to image an area of an integrated circuit optically coupled with the charged particle beam tool. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein light from the laser source is adapted to heat an area of an integrated circuit optically coupled with the charged particle beam tool. ### Claim 12 An apparatus for inspecting a sample, comprising: a dual column having a charged particle beam path and an optical path therein; a laser source situated outside the dual column; an optical coupling assembly coupling a laser beam from the laser source to the optical path; an imager receiving reflections of the laser beam from the sample; and a scanner operable in an imaging mode and in a static mode, whereby during the imaging mode the scanner scans the laser beam so as to image an area of the sample and during the static mode the scanner holds the laser beam statically over a particular location of the sample. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the scanner comprises one of galvanometric scanner, acousto-optic scanner or rotating polygon. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the scanner, the imager, and the optical coupling assembly form a confocal scanning microscope. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the imager forms a pixel-by-pixel image of the area of the sample via multiple scan lines. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the imager comprises a single element photo detector.