Agere Systems Guardian Corp.

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Agere Systems Inc.

Jeffrey Bruce Bindell

Larry E Plew

Erik Cho Houge

Frederick A Stevie

Fred Anthony Stevie

Terri Lynn Shofner

John Martin McIntosh

Catherine B Vartuli

Charles E Bryson, Iii

Joseph E Griffith

Ryan Keith Maynard

Dennis Earl Schrope

Richard J Dare

A probe comprising a probe body having a body longitudinal axis and a shoulder, and a microstylet mechanically coupled to the shoulder, and a method of manufacturing the same. The microstylet extends from the shoulder and has a microstylet longitudinal axis coincident the body longitudinal axis with the microstylet having a cross section substantially smaller than a cross section of the probe body.

Probe having a microstylet

A probe tip locator for, and method of, use in determining a location of a probe tip relative to the probe tip locator comprising sets of discrete location markers in which numbers and positions of the location markers in each of the sets are employable uniquely to identify corresponding specific locations on the probe tip locator, the sets being distributed about the probe tip locator to avoid unbalanced partial encroachments into both sides of a scanpath of the probe tip by location markers in sets normally adjacent the scanpath thereby to prevent an erroneous determination of location caused by unbalanced partial encroachments of the location markers into both sides of the scanpath as the probe tip traverses the scanpath.

Probe tip locator having improved marker arrangement for reduced bit encoding error

A scanning probe microscope includes a sensor head adjacent a stage for holding a sample, a scanning actuator for positioning the sensor head relative to the sample, and a probe carried by the sensor head. The probe preferably includes a base connected to the sensor head, a shank extending from the base at an angle offset from perpendicular to the base, and a tip connected to a distal end of the shank for contacting the sample. The angle is preferably in a range of 5 to 20&deg;. The tip is preferably laterally offset from the base to permit viewing of the tip without interference from the shank and the base. Thus, the location of the probe tip relative to the sample may be more easily determined.

Probe for scanning probe microscopy and related methods

A method of preparing a monolithic structure for scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) and a sample produced by way of the method. In one embodiment, the method includes: (1) aiming a focused ion beam at a location behind or beneath an area of interest in the monolithic structure and (2) employing the focused ion beam to remove at least a portion of an interaction volume of material beneath the area of interest. The area of interest preferably remains substantially intact for the spectroscopy.

Scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectroscopy sample preparation method and sample produced thereby

A method of detecting defects within a semiconductor device is disclosed. An ion beam is focused in predetermined directions onto an area of a semiconductor device that is believed to have a suspected defect. A portion of the semiconductor device is milled and forms a thin film specimen to be removed from the semiconductor device. The thin film specimen is removed from the semiconductor device and placed onto an insulated film mount. Electrical connection points are created on previously unexposed portions of the thin film specimen by depositing a line of conductive material using a focused ion beam. The surface of the thin film specimen is scanned with an electron beam in a scanning electron microscope and observed for contrast. Processing errors are determined and the lateral resolution is about the electron beam size.

Method of detecting semiconductor defects

The present invention provides an apparatus and a method of manufacturing that apparatus. More specifically, to a method of manufacturing probes for a stylus nanoprofilometer having a non-circular probe tip geometry and a method of measurement of semiconductor wafer features using the same. In one embodiment, the probe comprises an upper portion couplable to the stylus nanoprofilometer and a probative portion coupled to the upper portion. The probative portion has a cross section that is substantially thinner than a cross section of the upper portion. The probative portion further has a terminus distal the upper portion and a reentrant angle from the terminus to the upper portion.

Method of mapping a surface using a probe for stylus nanoprofilometry having a non-circular cross-section

A probe tip locator for use in determining the x-axis location and y-axis location of a probe tip of a microscope relative to the locator, the locator comprising a plurality of first reference lines parallel in a first direction, each of the first reference lines representing a predetermined x-axis location of the probe tip; a plurality of sets of parallel encoded bit fields, each one of the sets corresponding to one of the first reference lines; and a plurality of second reference lines parallel in a second direction, each one of the second reference lines intersecting at least one of the first reference lines at an acute angle, such that a scan of a portion of the locator is used to determine the x-axis location and y-axis location of the probe tip relative to the probe tip locator by movement of the probe tip relative to the probe tip locator.

Probe tip locator

Illustratively, the present invention includes a method of integrated circuit manufacturing which includes forming a raised topological feature upon a first substrate. A portion of the raised feature is removed, thereby exposing a cross sectional view of the raised feature with the substrate remaining substantially undamaged. The cross sectional view has a critical dimension. The critical dimension of the cross sectional view is measured using a first measuring instrument. Then the critical dimension is measured using a second measuring instrument. The measurements of the first and second measuring instruments are correlated. Then, using the second measuring instrument, raised features via plurality of second substrates are measured.

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Orlando, FL, United States of America

Jeffrey Bruce Bindell