Innovatum Instruments Inc.

Fei Efa, Inc.

Ronen Benzion

Michael Berkmyre

Richard E Stallcup, Ii

Carlo Floresca

Vladimir Ukraintsev

Israel Niv

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.

Probe tip X-Y location identification using a charged particle beam

System for performing in-line nanoprobing on semiconductor wafer. A wafer support or vertical wafer positioner is attached to a wafer stage. An SEM column, an optical microscope and a plurality of nanoprobe positioners are all attached to the ceiling. The nanoprobe positioners have one nanoprobe configured for physically contacting selected points on the wafer. A force (or touch) sensor measures contact force applied by the probe to the wafer (or the moment) when the probe physically contacts the wafer. A plurality of drift sensors are provided for calculating probe vs. wafer alignment drift in real-time during measurements.

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Ronen Benzion