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:
Aug. 17, 2004
Filed:
Nov. 21, 2002
KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for characterizing a potential defect of a semiconductor structure. A charged particle beam is scanned over a structure which has a potential defect. X-rays are detected from the scanned structure. The X-rays are in response to the charged particle beam being scanned over the structure. The potential defect of the scanned structure is characterized based on the detected X-rays. For example, it may be determined whether a potentially defective via has a SiO plug defect by comparing an X-ray count ratio of oxygen over silicon of the defective via with an X-ray count ratio of a known defect-free reference via. If the defective via has a relatively high ratio (more oxygen than silicon) as compared to the reference via, then it may be determined that a SiO plug defect is present within the defective via. Otherwise, the via may be defmed as having a different type of defect (e.g., not a SiO plug defect) or defined resulting in a “false” defect. Accordingly, specific embodiments of the present invention may be utilized to filter “false” defects from a defect sample.