Light beam apparatus and method for orthogonal alignment of specimen

• US 20060028641A1
• Filed: 08/09/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DCG Systems Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: DCG Systems Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Frank, Jonathan, Cotton, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,327,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/244
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/26 Stages; Adjusting means therefor

Abstract

A system for orthogonal alignment of a specimen disclosed. The system includes a light-beam illumination source, collection optics, imaging optics, and a tiltable specimen holder. The light-beam source is activated to illuminate a spot on the specimen, and the imaging optics is used image that spot. The location of the spot on the imager is used to determine whether the specimen is orthogonal to the optical axis of the collection optics.

Claims

1. A system for orthogonal alignment of a specimen to an optical axis of an optical system, comprising:

a tiltable holder bench for placing the specimen thereupon;

a plurality of lifters coupled to said test bench and operable to control the leveling of said test bench;

optical elements defining an optical path axis;

a light-beam source for illuminating said specimen through said optical elements;

an imager for imaging said light-beam after reflection from said specimen to thereby provide an indication of leveling position of said test bench.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising manual adjustment knobs coupled to said lifters.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electrical motors each connected to a respective one of said plurality of lifters.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a controller coupled to each of said electrical motors.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a feedback loop providing a signal from said imager to said controller.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said optical elements comprise a solid immersion lens.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein said optical elements comprise a solid immersion lens.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein said optical elements comprise a solid immersion lens.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said light-beam source comprises a laser.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein said light-beam source comprises a laser.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein said light-beam source comprises a laser.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said optical elements, said light-beam source, and said imager collectively comprise a scanning laser microscope.

13. An integrated system for testing an integrated circuit (IC) stimulated to simulate operating conditions, comprising:

a tiltable holder for mounting the IC thereto;

collection optics;

a primary illumination source for illuminating said IC through said collection optics in a navigation mode;

a light-beam source for illuminating a spot on said IC;

an imager for imaging said IC using light from said primary source and for imaging said spot on said IC;

a photon sensor operable in a detection mode to detect photons emitted from the IC and generate corresponding electrical signals.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said collection optics comprise a solid immersion lens.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said light-beam source comprises a laser.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said light-beam source comprises a laser.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said tiltable holder comprises a test bench having lifter system operable to adjust the tilt of said test bench, said lifter system comprises a plurality of lifters and a plurality of motors, each of said motors coupled to a respective lifter.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said tiltable holder comprises a test bench having lifter system operable to adjust the tilt of said test bench, said lifter system comprises a plurality of lifters and a plurality of motors, each of said motors coupled to a respective lifter.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said tiltable holder comprises a test bench having lifter system operable to adjust the tilt of said test bench, said lifter system comprises a plurality of lifters and a plurality of motors, each of said motors coupled to a respective lifter.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said tiltable holder comprises a test bench having lifter system operable to adjust the tilt of said test bench, said lifter system comprises a plurality of lifters and a plurality of motors, each of said motors coupled to a respective lifter.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein said optical elements, said light-beam source, and said imager collectively comprise a scanning laser microscope.

22. A method for leveling a specimen with respect to an optical system having collection optics and an imager, comprising:

placing said specimen on a tiltable holder;

illuminating a spot on said specimen through said collection optics;

noting the imaged location of said spot as reflected onto said imager;

comparing said imaged location to a reference location; and

if said imaged location differs from said reference location, tilting said tiltable holder so that the imaged location matches the reference location.