The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 14, 1999
Filed:
Aug. 29, 1997
Tohru Koyama, Hyogo, JP;
Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A sample to be measured having a semiconductor integrated circuit having interconnection lines is set on a scanning photoinduced current analyzer with one end of the interconnection line being open and the other end connected through a current amplifier to the ground. When a laser beam falls on part having a comparatively low thermal conductivity, such as a part having a void, of the interconnection line while the interconnection line is scanned with the laser beam, temperature distribution in the interconnection line changes at the part. The change in temperature distribution produces spontaneous thermoelectromotive force by the Seebeck effect to induce a current. The current amplifier amplifies the induced current, and then an image date converter converts the amplified current into image information in synchronism with the scanning operation of the laser beam. Since the photoinduced current can be measured without supplying a bias current to the sample to be measured, a current image corresponding to the photoinduced current can be formed to determine the position of a void even if the sample to be measured has a high resistance.