Innovatum Instruments Inc.

Michael Berkmyre

Ronen Benzion

Carlo Floresca

Richard E Stallcup, Ii

A nanoprober system can land a probe onto a device under test (DUT) by positioning a conductive probe above the DUT by a motion control device; applying electrical signals between the conductive probe and the DUT; measuring electrical responses from the applied electrical signal; calculating impedance magnitude values and/or phase angle values based on the measured electrical response values; causing the conductive probe to move towards the DUT while continuing to calculate impedance magnitude values and/or phase angle values from measured electrical response; determining that the conductive probe has contacted the DUT based on a change in the calculated impedance magnitude values and/or phase angle values; and signaling to the motion control device to stop moving the probe towards the DUT based on the change in the calculated impedance magnitude values and/or phase angle values.

Automated probe landing

An automated system for controlling a conductive probe of a nanoprober system in situ to a charged particle beam (CPB) imaging system can include a nanoprober comprising an actuator and a conductive probe; signal measurement circuitry electrically coupled to the conductive probe and to receive an electrical signal from the conductive probe; and a hardware processor to execute operations. The operations can include activating a CPB within a first reference frame, the first reference frame associated with the CPB; causing, by a computerized control system, the CPB and the conductive probe to intersect; measuring an electrical response from the intersection of the CPB with the conductive probe; and determining a location of the conductive probe in a second reference frame based on the electric response from the intersection of the CPB with the conductive probe, the second reference frame associated with the conductive probe.

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Princeton, TX, United States of America

Michael Berkmyre