Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Joel R Stanford

Tim Z Hossain

Donald A Tiffin

Jeffrey Kersten

A probe for determining a surface characteristic of an object includes a substrate, a plurality of cantilevers each having a distal end coupled to the substrate, and a plurality of probe tips each coupled to a proximal end of a respective one of the cantilevers for contacting a surface of the object. Such probes can be used to study properties of objects, such as layers of semiconductor devices. Electrical properties of the surface of the object, such as, for example, surface resistivity, can be determined using probes with conductive probe tips. Some probes include a substrate divided lengthwise into a first section and a second section with the first section being doped with an n-type material and the second section being doped with a p-type material. Other probes include conductive material disposed on the substrate and, optionally, on the cantilevers and/or probe tips to form individual conductive paths to the probe tips.

Surface probe for determining physical properties of a semiconductor device

An apparatus and method are present which use X-ray fluorescence techniques to determine the roughness of a target surface. The apparatus includes an X-ray source and an X-ray detector. The X-ray source produces primary X-ray photons formed into a primary X-ray beam, and the primary X-ray beam is directed to and incident upon the target surface. The X-ray detector is positioned to receive primary X-ray photons scattered by the target surface. A fraction of the primary X-ray photons scattered by the target surface is directly proportional to the roughness of the target surface. The roughness of the target surface is determined from the number of primary X-ray photons scattered by the target surface and received by the X-ray detector within a predetermined exposure time. The X-ray detector produces an output signal proportional to the energy levels of received X-ray photons. An energy range of interest is divided into segments. A computer system receives the X-ray detector output signals and increments corresponding counts associated with segments of the energy range of interest. Following exposure, the computer system produces a graph of the counts associated with each segment. The computer system also reviews the counts associated with a peak in the graph corresponding to the energy levels of the scattered primary X-ray photons, determines selected characteristics of the peak (e.g., a maximum count associated with the peak, the area under the peak, etc.), and uses calibration data to compute a surface roughness value.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Joel R Stanford