Other

Process Diagnostics, Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

Thermo Fisher Scientific Gmbh

Thermo Keytek LLC

Grund Technical Solutions

Evan Grund

James A McMillen

Robert J Gauthier, Jr

Shunhua Thomas Chang

An approach for transmission line pulse and very fast transmission line pulse reflection control is provided. The approach includes using a power splitter to split an incident pulse into two identical pulses with one going to a device under test (DUT) through a delivery cable and the other going down an open ended delay cable. The structure of the power splitter, along with having the delivery cable and the open ended delay cable with the same signal propagation time and pulse transmission characteristics enable the canceling of pulse reflections from the DUT.

Transmission line pulse and very fast transmission line pulse reflection control

This invention is an electrostatic discharge testing circuit that can deliver current pulses to a component under test (CUT) with a custom amplitude versus time profile shape. Pulse generation with customized shapes is accomplished by discharging an energy storage network comprised of capacitor(s), transmission line(s) and other passive components. Current pulses compliant to the European International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 61000-4-2 standard can be so produced. These current pulses are delivered to the CUT with low distortion through a constant impedance electrical path, such as a combination of cables and controlled impedance conductors of printed wiring boards compatible with packaged IC devices, assemblies, and wafer probes. The current pulses can be delivered with various impedances, and measurements made that allow the CUT currents and voltages to be calculated.

Test circuits and current pulse generator for simulating an electrostatic discharge

This invention generates two pulses for semiconductor testing that have leading edges coordinated in time by synchronizing the pulses from two different styles of pulse generators (pulsers). One pulser uses spark discharge pulse generation and the other pulser is a typical solid state pulser. The spark discharge pulser has high power pulse generation but its pulse timing can not be tightly controlled. The output pulse of the spark discharge pulser is split unequally, with a small amount used to trigger the solid state pulser, and the large pulse energy delayed by a cable of length for a signal propagation delay equal or greater than the trigger-input-to-pulse-output delay of the solid state pulser. Variable attenuators control the trigger signal amplitude and a level shifting circuit makes the trigger signal compatible with standard logic signal levels. The two pulses can be applied to semiconductors with their leading edges adjustable relative to each other to measure the semiconductors operation.

Method to synchronize two different pulse generators

A new circuit for producing simulated electrostatic discharges (ESD) based on the Human Body Model (HBM) is disclosed for testing integrated circuits. HBM ESD test systems provide stress pulses defined by industry standards. The pulses produced by prior art have small imperfections or anomalies. These anomalies can cause incorrect testing to certain devices. The improved ESD HBM test system herein disclosed provides pulses meeting the requirements of industry standards while reducing several anomalies to negligible levels.

Circuit for minimizing or eliminating pulse anomalies in human body model electrostatic discharge tests

A Transmission Line Pulse ('TLP') measurement system for testing devices such as integrated circuits ('ICs'), and especially for testing the electrostatic discharge (&#x201c;ESD&#x201d;) protection structures connected to terminals on such ICs. The TLP measurement system measures the pulsed voltage and/or current of a device under test (&#x201c;DUT&#x201d;) by recording voltage and/or current pulse waveforms traveling in a constant impedance cable to and from the DUT. The pulses going to and returning from the DUT are processed to create signal replicas of the voltage and current pulses that actually occurred at the DUT. Oscilloscope operating settings optimize the recording of these signal replicas by improving the measurement signal-to-noise ratio. This improved TLP system is especially useful when very short width pulses on the order of less than 10 nanoseconds are used to test the DUT's response.

Transmission line pulse measurement system for measuring the response of a device under test

A transmission Line Pulse (TLP) device calibration method wherein the TLP device includes a pulse generator for generating a pulse, a cable having an input terminal coupled to said pulse generator, an output terminal, and at least one ground return terminal, for coupling said pulse to a device under test (DUT) when it is connected to said output terminal, and a sensor for sensing the voltage and current at a selected point in said cable to measure the pulsed voltage and current of the DUT as the pulses travel in the cable to and from the DUT. The method for calibrating said TLP device comprises selectively shorting between said output terminal and said ground return terminal and selectively creating an open circuit between these terminals to enable the calculation of the series resistance Rat said selected point in said cable and calculating the shunt resistance Rat said selected point in said cable, respectively, when a pulse is generated, and for calculating the corrected values of current and voltage according to a formula that uses these resistance values.

Transmission line pulse (TLP) system calibration technique

A high-resolution and high-speed film thickness and thickness uniformity measurement method is disclosed in this invention. The disclosed method includes a step a) of measuring a film thickness at a single point on the top surface of the substrate using an interferometry with a measuring light beam having a range of wavelengths. The method further includes a step b) of selecting an optimal wavelength from the range of wavelengths applied for measuring the film thickness at the single point. The method further includes a step c) of measuring reflection intensities by scanning over a plurality of points with a measuring light beam of the optimal wavelength over the top surface of the substrate. The method further includes a step d) of calculating a film thickness at the plurality of points applying the optimal-wavelength reflection intensities at the plurality of points over the top surface of the substrate.

Apparatus and method for enabling high resolution film thickness and thickness-uniformity measurements

This invention discloses an apparatus for measuring an ion-implantation ion energy and/or dosage. The apparatus includes a scanning densitometer for measuring a reflected light from a monitor substrate. The apparatus further uses a monitor substrate. A thin film is supported on the monitor substrate wherein the thin film has an optical characteristic that is sensitive to the ion-implantation. The apparatus further includes a light source for projecting a measuring beam onto the monitor substrate for generating a reflected light. The apparatus also includes a bare silicon substrate for measuring a full scale reflected light represented by I0 reflected from the bare silicon substrate with the light source projecting a full scale light onto the bare silicon substrate. The apparatus further has a light source control means for controlling the light source to project the full scale light onto a plurality of points on the monitor substrate before and after an ion implantation for obtaining reflection intensities I' and I&#x2033;. The apparatus further includes an ion-implantation measurement controller for controlling the apparatus and for calculating the implantation energy and/or dosage from the reflected light from the monitor substrate and displaying implant profile data.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Evan Grund