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:
Mar. 19, 2013
Filed:
Mar. 26, 2010
Jacob Simon Faber, Eindhoven, NL;
Remco Theodorus Johannes Petrus Geurts, Oss, NL;
Jacob Simon Faber, Eindhoven, NL;
Remco Theodorus Johannes Petrus Geurts, Oss, NL;
FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR (US);
Abstract
Dual beam instruments, comprising a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) column for imaging and a Focused Ion Beam (FIB) column for milling, are routinely used to extract samples (lamellae) from semiconductor wafers. By observing the progress of the milling with the SEM column, end pointing of the milling process can be performed. The invention offers an alternative solution to this problem, in which an instrument with only a FIB column is used. For milling a lamella to its final thickness of, for example, 30 nm, the focused ion beam, is scanned repeatedly along the lamella. It is found that while milling the lamella a signal can be derived from the lamella that is sufficient for end pointing. No additional electron beam for inspection is needed.