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:
Apr. 12, 2005
Filed:
Nov. 04, 2003
Robert J. Hillard, Avalon, PA (US);
Robert J. Hillard, Avalon, PA (US);
Solid State Measurements, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A leakage current of a dielectric overlaying a semiconductor wafer can be determining by moving a conductive probe into contact with the dielectric and applying an electrical stimulus, in the form of a fixed amplitude, fixed frequency AC voltage superimposed on a DC voltage which is swept from a starting voltage towards an ending voltage, between the probe tip and the semiconductor wafer. Conductance values associated with the dielectric and the semiconductor wafer can be determined from phase angles between the AC voltage and an AC current resulting from the applied AC voltage during the sweep of the DC voltage. The leakage current of the dielectric can then be determined from the thus determined conductance values.