Intevac, Inc.

Multibeam Systems Inc.

Other

Multibeam Corporation

Edward Yin

Kenneth A Costello

N William Parker

Kevin P Fairbairn

Alan D Brodie

David W Brown

Yun Chung

Patricia Gober

Frank Ching-Feng Tsai

George Xinsheng Guo

Verle W Aebi

Kevin James Roderick

Douglas Fowler

Michael Wayne Pelczynski

Michael C Matter

Kevin P c/o Intevac Inc Fairbairn

A structure and method of manufacture is disclosed for a backside thinned imager that incorporates a conformal, AlO, low thermal budget, surface passivation. This passivation approach facilitates fabrication of backside thinned, backside illuminated, silicon image sensors with thick silicon absorber layer patterned with vertical trenches that are formed by etching the exposed back surface of a backside-thinned image sensor to control photo-carrier diffusion and optical crosstalk. A method of manufacture employing conformal, AlO, surface passivation approach is shown to provide high quantum efficiency and low dark current while meeting the thermal budget constraints of a finished standard foundry-produced CMOS imager.

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An image sensor is disclosed that includes a solid state semiconductor imager having a metallized catch pad, a collimator having a metallized layer that faces a sensor anode, the metallized layer joined with the metallized catch pad to form a metal bond between the solid state semiconductor imager and the collimator. Methods of making the joined solid state semiconductor imager and collimator assembly are also disclosed.

Collimator bonding structure and method

Backthinning in an area selective manner is applied to CMOS imaging sensorsfor use in electron bombarded active pixel array devices. A further arrangement results in an array of collimatorsaligned with pixelsor groups of pixels of an active pixel array providing improved image contrast of such image sensor. Provision of a thin P-doped layeron the illuminated rear surface provides both a diffusion barrier resulting in improved resolution and a functional shield for reference pixels. A gradient in concentration of P-doped layeroptimizes electron collection at the pixel array.

Backside imaging through a doped layer

Backthinning in an area selective manner is applied to imaging sensorsfor use in electron bombarded devices. A further arrangement results in an array of collimatorsaligned with pixelsor groups of pixels providing improved image contrast of such image sensor. Provision of a thin P-doped layeron the illuminated rear surface provides both a diffusion barrier resulting in improved resolution and a functional shield for reference pixels. A gradient in concentration of P-doped layeroptimizes electron collection at the pixel array.

Backside thinning of image array devices

A multi-column electron beam inspection system is disclosed herein. The system is designed for electron beam inspection of semiconductor wafers with throughput high enough for in-line use. The system includes field emission electron sources, electrostatic electron optical columns, a wafer stage with six degrees of freedom of movement, and image storage and processing systems capable of handling multiple simultaneous image data streams. Each electron optical column is enhanced with an electron gun with redundant field emission sources, a voltage contrast plate to allow voltage contrast imaging of wafers, and an electron optical design for high efficiency secondary electron collection.

Multi-beam multi-column electron beam inspection system

An electron beam column incorporating an asymmetrical detector optics assembly provides improved secondary electron collection. The electron beam column comprises an electron gun, an accelerating region, scanning deflectors, focusing lenses, secondary electron detectors and an asymmetrical detector optics assembly. The detector optics assembly comprises a field-free tube, asymmetrical with respect to the electron optical axis; the asymmetry can be introduced by offsetting the field-free tube from the electron optical axis or by chamfering the end of the tube. In other embodiments the detector optics assembly comprises a field-free tube and a voltage contrast plate, either or both of which are asymmetrical with respect to the electron optical axis.

Detector optics for electron beam inspection system

A charge particle optical column capable of being used in a high throughput, mutli-column, multi-beam electron beam lithography system is disclosed herein. The column has the following properties: purely electrostatic components; small column footprint (20 mm square); multiple, individually focused charge particle beams; telecentric scanning of all beams simultaneously on a wafer for increased depth of field; and conjugate blanking of the charged particle beams for reduced beam blur. An electron gun is disclosed that uses microfabricated field emission sources and a microfabricated aperture-deflector assembly. The aperture-deflector assembly acts as a perfect lens in focusing, steering and blanking a multipicity of electron beams through the back focal plane of an immersion lens located at the bottom of the column. Beam blanking can be performed using a gating signal to decrease beam blur during writing on the wafer.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Edward Yin