Charged particle beam device probe operation

• US 20060192116A1
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DCG Systems Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Zyvex Corporation
• Inventors: Folaron, Robert J., Nelson, Jay C., Hartman, Adam, Stallcup, Richard E. II, Baur, Christof, Foster, Philip C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,319,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/310
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/28 Preparing specimens for investigation including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Qmounting specimens on microscopic slides G02B21/34; means for supporting the objects or the materials to be analysed in electron microscopes H01J37/20 ; laboratory gas handling apparatus B01L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/32 Polishing; Etching
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/307 of integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/20 Positioning, supporting, modifying or maintaining the physical state of objects being observed or treated
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2008 specially adapted for studying electrical or magnetical properties of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/206 Modifying objects while observing
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/24592 Inspection and quality control of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2594 Measuring electric fields or potentials
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/28 Scanning microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2817 Pattern inspection
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31745 for preparing specimen to be viewed in microscopes or analyzed in microanalysers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3056 for microworking, e. g. etching of gratings or trimming of electrical components

Abstract

An apparatus including a positioner control device, a measuring device and a control routine. The positioner control device is communicatively coupled to a chamber of a charged particle beam device (CPBD) and is configured to individually manipulate each of a plurality of probes within the CPBD chamber to establish contact between ones of the plurality of probes and corresponding ones of a plurality of contact points of a sample positioned in the CPBD chamber. The measuring device is communicatively coupled to the CPBD and the positioner control device and is configured to perform one of a measurement and a detection of a characteristic associated with one of the plurality of contact points. The control routine is configured to at least partially automate control of at least one of the CPBD, the positioner control device and the measuring device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a positioner controller configured to control positioning of at least one of a device under test (DUT) and a probe within a chamber of a charged particle beam device (CPBD), including positioning control by at least partial automation of at least one of;

orientation of the DUT within the CPBD chamber for examination of the DUT within the CBPD chamber; and

orientation of the probe within the CPBD chamber for examination of at least one of the probe and the DUT; and

relative orientation of the probe and the DUT for establishing contact between the probe and the DUT within the CPBD chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the CPBD.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the positioning control by at least partial automation is positioning control by substantial automation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the positioning control by at least partial automation includes positioning control of the orientation of the DUT within the CPBD chamber, positioning control of the orientation of the probe within the CPBD chamber, and positioning control of the relative orientation of the probe and the DUT.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a measurer configured to receive, via substantial automation, information from the probe indicative of a characteristic of at least a portion of the DUT.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a manipulation platform configured to be anchored within the CPBD chamber and including;

a base; and

a stage coupled to the base and configured to receive the DUT;

a plurality of manipulator modules each coupled to the base and configured to manipulate at least one of the probe and the DUT; and

an interface configured to transfer information between the positioner controller and ones of the plurality of manipulator modules;

wherein the positioning control by at least partial automation includes positioning control of at least one of the plurality of manipulator modules.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of manipulator modules includes a probe positioner having a detachable end-effector configured to contact the DUT.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the probe includes:

a first conductive portion;

a second conductive portion; and

a dielectric layer electrically isolating the first and second conductive portions;

wherein the first and second conductive portions are configured to be electrically connected by contacting the probe to a conductive feature of the DUT within the CPBD chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising storage structure configured to:

store at least one end-effector within the CPBD chamber, wherein the probe is an examination probe and the end-effector includes the examination probe and an assembly probe extending in opposing directions, wherein the assembly probe is configured to couple with a positioner; and

release the at least one end-effector upon connection between the assembly probe and a corresponding assembly socket of the positioner.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the end-effector includes a plurality of the examination probes and a corresponding plurality of the assembly probes.

11. A method, comprising:

transferring a probe to a chamber of a charged particle beam device (CPBD);

establishing contact between the probe and a contact point of a device under test (DUT) positioned within the CPBD chamber; and

measuring a characteristic of the DUT while the probe is contacting the DUT contact point;

wherein at least one of the transferring, the establishing and the measuring is via substantial automation.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein each of the transferring, the establishing and the measuring is via substantial automation.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising mechanically coupling the probe and a probe positioner via substantial automation prior to transferring the probe to the CPBD chamber.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising at least one of:

positioning the DUT within the CPBD chamber via substantial automation prior to establishing contact between the probe and the CPBD;

de-processing the DUT via substantial automation prior to establishing contact between the probe and the DUT contact point;

preparing the DUT via substantial automation prior to establishing contact between the probe and the DUT contact point;

assessing via substantial automation an electrical quality of contact between the probe and the DUT contact point after establishing the contact;

conditioning the probe via substantial automation if the assessed electrical quality does not fall within predetermined acceptance criteria; and

retracting the DUT from the CPBD chamber via substantial automation after measuring the DUT characteristic.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising at least one of preparing, conditioning and characterizing the probe via substantial automation within the CPBD chamber.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising storing the probe within the CPBD chamber via substantial automation.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising exchanging the probe with an additional probe positioned within the CPBD chamber, wherein the exchanging is via substantial automation.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the probe is one of first and second probes positioned in the CPBD chamber, and wherein measuring the DUT characteristic includes:

exposing one of the first and second probes to a charged particle beam (CPB) of the CPBD; and

examining a current in at least one of the first and second probes, wherein the current is indicative of which of the first and second probes is exposed to the CPB.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the probe is one of first and second probes positioned in the CPBD chamber, and wherein measuring the DUT characteristic includes:

introducing a generated signal current to one of the first and second probes;

exposing each of the first and second probes to a charged particle beam (CPB) of the CPBD; and

identifying, in an image created by the CPBD, the one of the first and second probes to which the generated signal current is introduced based on a unique representation of the one of the first and second probes relative to the other of the first and second probes in the image.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising, after measuring the characteristic:

collecting data regarding the characteristic;

storing the collected data;

processing the stored data; and

transferring electronically the processed data to an apparatus configured to electronically communicate with the CPBD;

wherein at least one of the collecting, storing, processing and transferring is via substantial automation.

21. The method of claim 11 further comprising, prior to establishing contact between the probe and the DUT contact point:

contacting a first probe tip of the probe with a second probe tip of another probe within the CPBD chamber; and

heating the first probe tip such that a portion of material forming the first probe tip dislodges to sharpen the first probe tip.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein measuring the characteristic includes:

examining at least one of a shift and motion of an image of at least one of the probe and the DUT; and

determining at least one of a status and a change in status of an electrical characteristic of at least one of an environment of the CPBD chamber, the DUT located with the CPBD chamber, and the probe located within the CPBD chamber, wherein the determining is based on the at least one of the image shift and motion.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a positioner control device communicatively coupled to a chamber of a charged particle beam device (CPBD) and configured to individually manipulate each of a plurality of probes within the CPBD chamber to establish contact between ones of the plurality of probes and corresponding ones of a plurality of contact points of a sample positioned in the CPBD chamber;

a measuring device communicatively coupled to the CPBD and the positioner control device and configured to perform one of a measurement and a detection of a characteristic associated with one of the plurality of contact points; and

a control routine configured to at least partially automate control of at least one of the CPBD, the positioner control device and the measuring device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a reference system (RS) configured to spatially relate ones of the plurality of probes to at least one of the CPBD and the positioner control device by at least partial automation.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the control routine is configured to at least partially automate control of a plurality of processes including:

selection of one of the plurality of probes for use in the measurement or detection of the characteristic;

ex-situ preparation of at least one of the plurality of probes;

ex-situ conditioning of at least one of the plurality of probes;

ex-situ characterization of at least one of the plurality of probes;

in-situ preparation of at least one of the plurality of probes;

in-situ conditioning of at least one of the plurality of probes;

in-situ characterization of at least one of the plurality of probes;

ex-situ preparation of the sample;

ex-situ conditioning of the sample;

ex-situ characterization of the sample;

in-situ preparation of the sample;

in-situ conditioning of the sample;

in-situ characterization of the sample;

identification of at least one of the plurality of probes in an image created from data generated by the CPBD;

translation of at least one of the plurality of probes relative to the sample;

establishment of contact between at least one of the plurality of probes and at least one of the plurality of contact points;

measurement of the characteristic;

detection of the characteristic; and

replacement of at least one of the plurality of probes.