Applied Materials, Inc.

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Applied Materials Israel Limited

Technische Universiteit Delft

Ict Integrated Circuit Testing Gesellschaft Fur Halbleiterpruftechnik Mbh

Akt Electron Beam Technology Gmbh

Ralf Schmid

Matthias Brunner

Benjamin M Johnston

Shinichi Kurita

Hung T Nguyen

Fayez E Abboud

Sriram Krishnaswami

John M White

Emanuel Beer

James Craig Hunter

Paul Bocian

Benjamin John Cook

Bernhard Gunter Mueller

Axel Wenzel

Fayez (Frank) E Abboud

Pieter Kruit

Jürgen Frosien

Dieter Winkler

Ron Naftali

Lee H Veneklasen

Yong Liu

Johann Otto

Erwin Knapek

Ludwig Ledl

Roman Barday

William Beaton

Thomas Schwedes

Juan R Madonado

Michael Regula

Daniela Bernklau

A charged particle beam device for irradiating or inspecting a specimen is described. The charged particle beam device includes a charged particle beam source for generating a primary charged particle beam and a multi-aperture lens plate having a plurality of apertures for forming four or more primary. Two or more electrodes having one opening, e.g. having one opening each, for the primary charged particle beam or the four or more primary beamlets are provided. The charged particle beam device further includes a collimator for deflecting a first primary beamlet, a second primary beamlet, a third primary beamlet, and a fourth primary beamlet of the four or more primary beamlets with respect to each other. The charged particle beam device further includes an objective lens unit having three or more electrodes, each electrode having openings for the four or more primary beamlets.

Method for inspecting a specimen and charged particle beam device

A method of operating a charged particle beam device is disclosed, including passing each of a plurality of beamlets through a deflector and a scanner, in that order. Each of the beamlets is focused with an objective lens on a sample to form a plurality of focal spots, forming an array. A first beamlet is focused on a first spot and a second beamlet is focused on a second spot. In a centered configuration of the device, each of the plurality of beamlets is directed by the deflector toward a coma free point. In a beamlet-displaced configuration of the device, the scanner is scanned such that the first beamlet passes through an acceptable aberrations point, the first beamlet scanning a displaced first field of view; and the first spot is displaced from the regular first focal spot to a displaced first focal spot.

Device and method for operating a charged particle device with multiple beamlets

The present invention relates to a device for testing an optoelectronic module, comprising a first source for generating an electromagnetic beam or particle beam, a second source for illuminating the optoelectronic module; and a detector. In addition, a method for testing an optoelectronic module is provided comprising illuminating the optoelectronic module, directing an electromagnetic beam or particle beam and detecting defects in the optoelectronic module. The illumination additional to the electromagnetic beam or particle beam makes defects visible which otherwise would not be detected.

Light-assisted testing of an optoelectronic module

The invention relates to a method of calibration of the beam position of a corpuscular beam. A calibration body with structures is used, wherein the structures have a structure period Pin the plain section and within each structure there is a position L intended for the measurement. For the calibration, at least one detection signal each at structures in the plain section of the calibration body is generated, wherein the corpuscular beam is deflected with deflectors on beam target positions Lwith the beam target period P, which is larger than half of the structure period P, whereby a basic calibration is used for the control of the deflectors, and wherein the beam target deflections deviate either in the beam target period Pfrom the structure period Pand/or in the beam target position Lfrom the position L.

Method for beam calibration and usage of a calibration body

A method for testing a plurality of electronic devices formed on a large area substrate is described. In one embodiment, the method includes transferring a substrate on an end effector relative to a testing platform having a plurality of testing columns coupled thereto, the substrate having a plurality of electronic devices located thereon, and moving the substrate in a single directional axis relative to an optical axis of each of the plurality of testing columns, the single directional axis being substantially orthogonal to the optical axis to define a test area on the substrate, wherein the test area is configured to cover an entire length or an entire width of the substrate such that the testing columns are capable of testing the entire substrate as the substrate is moved through the test area.

In-line electron beam test system

A method of testing electronic devices on substrates is described. The method includes placing a configurable prober over a first substrate, testing the first substrate, re-configuring the configurable prober, placing the configurable prober over a second substrate, and testing the second substrate.

Configurable prober for TFT LCD array test

An apparatus and method for testing large area substrates is described. The large area substrates include patterns of displays and contact points electrically coupled to the displays on the large area substrate. The apparatus includes a prober assembly that is movable relative to the large area substrate and/or the contact points, and may be configured to test various patterns of displays and contact points on various large area substrates. The prober assembly is also configured to test fractional sections of the large area substrate positioned on a testing table, and the prober assembly may be configured for different display and contact point patterns without removing the prober assembly from the testing table.

Prober for electronic device testing on large area substrates

A method and apparatus for testing a plurality of electronic devices formed on a large area substrate is described. In one embodiment, the apparatus performs a test on the substrate in one linear axis in at least one chamber that is slightly wider than a dimension of the substrate to be tested. Clean room space and process time is minimized due to the smaller dimensions and volume of the system.

A method and apparatus for reducing or eliminating crosstalk between a plurality of electron beams is described. The plurality of electron beams may produce test areas on a large area substrate that are adjacent wherein secondary electrons from one test area may be detected in an adjacent test area. In one embodiment, the timing of a primary beam emission and detection of secondary electrons from that primary beam is controlled to eliminate or reduce the possibility of detection of secondary electrons from another primary beam.

Method to reduce cross talk in a multi column e-beam test system

A method and an apparatus for testing the function of a plurality of microstructural elements by irradiation with particle radiation. All of the microstructural elements detected as malfunctioning are listed in a first error list in a first test sequence. The microstructural elements listed in the first error list are tested once more in at least one further test sequence and at least the result of the test sequence last carried out is evaluated to establish the overall test result. The first test sequence is designed so that, if possible, all of the microstructural elements which are actually malfunctioning are detected. The invention further relates to a method for producing microstructural elements which are constructed as a plurality on a substrate and are tested according to the above test method.

Method and apparatus for testing function of active microstructural elements and method for producing microstructural elements using the test method

An improved prober for an electronic devices test system is provided. The prober is 'configurable,' meaning that it can be adapted for different device layouts and substrate sizes. The prober generally includes a frame, at least one prober bar having a first end and a second end, a frame connection mechanism that allows for ready relocation of the prober bar to the frame at selected points along the frame, and a plurality of electrical contact pins along the prober bar for placing selected electronic devices in electrical communication with a system controller during testing. In one embodiment, the prober is be used to test devices such as thin film transistors on a glass substrate. Typically, the glass substrate is square, and the frame is also square. In this way, 'x' and &#x201c;y&#x201d; axes are defined by the frame. The electrical pins may be movable along the axial length of the prober bars, or may be selectively pushed down to contact selected contact pads on the substrate.

An improved prober for an electronic devices test system is provided. The prober is 'configurable,' meaning that it can be adapted for different device layouts and substrate sizes. The prober generally includes a frame, at least one prober bar having a first end and a second end, a frame connection mechanism that allows for ready relocation of the prober bar to the frame at selected points along the frame, and a plurality of electrical contact pins along the prober bar for placing selected electronic devices in electrical communication with a system controller during testing. In one embodiment, the prober is be used to test devices such as thin film transistors on a glass substrate. Typically, the glass substrate is square, and the frame is also square. In this way, 'x' and &#x201c;y&#x201d; axes are defined by the frame.

Configurable prober for TFT LCD array testing

The present invention provides a method of electron beam testing of liquid crystal displays comprising non-uniform electrodes having a conductive portion and a dielectric portion. In accordance with methods of the present invention, the diameter of the electron beam is increased so that the beam is less focused, i.e., enlarged or 'blurred,' over a non-uniform electrode area. The diameter of the beam is increased so that the beam generates secondary electrons from the conductive portion of the non-uniform electrode area. The configured test beam may be circular, elliptical, or other suitable shapes.

Method for testing pixels for LCD TFT displays

A particle beam apparatus and a device for an energy corrected deflection by a predetermined deflection angle of a particle beam coming in along a beam axis are disclosed, whereby the particle beam consists of charged particles with energy values scattered around a predetermined energy value. The device comprises a corrector, whereby the corrector, by means of a first electric field and a superimposed first magnetic field, deflects the charged particles depending on their energies, and whereby the direction of the charged particles with the predetermined energy value is maintained during the passage through the corrector. The device further comprises a deflector applied after the corrector, whereby the deflector, by means of a second electric field or by means of a second magnetic field, deflects the charged particles with the predetermined energy vague by the predetermined deflection angle away from the beam axis, whereby the deflector focuses the charged particles. Further, the device comprises a controller to control the corrector and the deflector.

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Poing, Germany

Ralf Schmid