Non-invasive electrical measurement of semiconductor wafers
First Claim
1. A semiconductor wafer multi-probe assembly, comprising:
- a chuck assembly configured to receive a surface of a semiconductor wafer;
a multi-probe holder having a plurality of probes, each of the plurality of probes having an elastically deformable conductive tip movable into contact with (i) a front surface of a dielectric formed on a front surface of semiconducting material forming the semiconducting wafer or (ii) a front surface of the semiconducting material; and
a means for selectively applying an electrical stimulus to each elastically deformable conductive tip, for measuring a response to the electrical stimulus, and for determining from the response at least one electrical property of the dielectric and/or the semiconducting material, wherein when each elastically deformable conductive tip is in contact with the semiconducting material, said means applies a capacitance-voltage (CV), a capacitance-time (Ct), a conductance-voltage (GV) or current-voltage (IV) type electrical stimulus and measures the respective CV, Ct, GV or IV response of the semiconducting material to the electrical stimulus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-probe assembly includes a chuck assembly configured to receive a back or front surface of a semiconductor wafer. A multi-probe holder has a plurality of probes each having an elastically deformable conductive tip movable into contact with a front surface of a dielectric or a front surface of a semiconducting material. A means applies an electrical stimulus to each tip, measures a response to the electrical stimulus, and determines at least one electrical property of the dielectric and/or the semiconducting material. A method for measuring at least one electrical property applies a probe (or plurality of probes) having an elastically deformable conductive tip to a scribe line(s). An electrical stimulus is applied to the probe or one of the probes with the remaining probes grounded. A response to the electrical stimulus is measured and at least one electrical property of the semiconductor wafer is determined from the response.
45 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A semiconductor wafer multi-probe assembly, comprising:
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a chuck assembly configured to receive a surface of a semiconductor wafer;
a multi-probe holder having a plurality of probes, each of the plurality of probes having an elastically deformable conductive tip movable into contact with (i) a front surface of a dielectric formed on a front surface of semiconducting material forming the semiconducting wafer or (ii) a front surface of the semiconducting material; and
a means for selectively applying an electrical stimulus to each elastically deformable conductive tip, for measuring a response to the electrical stimulus, and for determining from the response at least one electrical property of the dielectric and/or the semiconducting material, wherein when each elastically deformable conductive tip is in contact with the semiconducting material, said means applies a capacitance-voltage (CV), a capacitance-time (Ct), a conductance-voltage (GV) or current-voltage (IV) type electrical stimulus and measures the respective CV, Ct, GV or IV response of the semiconducting material to the electrical stimulus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of measuring at least one electrical property of a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a probe having an elastically deformable conductive tip;
(b) forming a first electrical contact between the tip and a scribe line of the semiconductor wafer;
(c) forming a second electrical contact with the semiconductor wafer;
(d) applying a capacitance-voltage (CV), a capacitance-time (Ct), a capacitance-voltage (GV) or current-voltage (IV) type electrical stimulus between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact;
(e) measuring a CV, Ct, GV or IV response of the semiconductor wafer to the electrical stimulus; and
(f) determining from the response at least one electrical property of the semiconductor wafer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification