Apparatus and method for detecting faults in multilayer semiconductors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10088522-B2
Application number	US-201615257401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2016
Priority date	Sep 16, 2015
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus according to embodiments detects locations of faults in a multilayer semiconductor (MLS). The apparatus comprises a laser source that outputs a laser beam, an optical system that directs the laser beam selectively onto a target region in the MLS to generate an irradiated zone in the MLS, a stage and a scanner that control a relative position between the irradiated zone and the MLS so that the irradiated zone moves along the target region, a controller system that measures electrical signals or electrical signal changes induced by a temperature increase in the MLS, and identifies a location of the target region and locations of faults in the MLS based on the measured electrical signal or the measured electrical signal changes. The target region is made of a material of which thermal conductivity is higher than that of a material around the target region and has a structure penetrating from shallow layers to deep layers of the MLS.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for detecting locations of faults in a multilayer semiconductor (MLS), comprising:
a laser source that outputs a laser beam;
an optical system that directs the laser beam selectively onto a target region in the MLS to generate an irradiated zone in the MLS, the target region being made of a material of which thermal conductivity is higher than that of a material around the target region and having a structure penetrating from shallow layers to deep layers of the MLS;
a stage and a scanner that control a relative position between the irradiated zone and the MLS so that the irradiated zone moves along the target region; and
a controller system that measures electrical signals or electrical signal changes induced by a temperature increase in the MLS, and identifies a location of the target region and locations of faults in the MLS based on the measured electrical signal or the measured electrical signal changes.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller system determines the relative position based on the electrical signal changes and controls the stage and the scanner in accordance with the determined relative position.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an amplifier that increases the electrical signals or the electrical signal changes, wherein
the controller system measures the increased electrical signals or the increased electrical signal changes and identifies the locations of the faults in the MLS based on the increased electrical signal or the increased electrical signal changes.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the amplifier is operable to detect the electrical signals or the electrical signal changes depending on a temperature profile of the MLS.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein amplifier is adjusted to detect the electrical signals or the electrical signal changes for individual layers in order to detect a depth of each fault and/or a layer where at least one fault is located.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a camera that measures a location of the irradiated zone on the MLS, wherein
the controller system controls the stage and the scanner so that the measured location of the irradiated zone moves along the target region.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the laser source outputs the laser beam with an infrared wavelength which is semi-transparent against a substrate material of the MLS.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical system directs the laser beam onto the target region through a substrate of the MLS so that the irradiated zone is created in a shallower layer of the MLS.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical system includes an optical component for adjusting a numerical aperture of the optical system so that a size of the irradiated zone has a comparable size to the target region.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical system includes a diffraction grating for creating a diffraction pattern that increases the number of irradiated zones on the target region.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical system includes one or more prism for creating an interference pattern that increases the number of irradiated zones on the target region.

12. A method of detecting locations of faults in a multilayer semiconductor (MLS), comprising:
outputting a laser beam;
directing the laser beam selectively onto a target region in the MLS to generate an irradiated zone in the MLS, the target region being made of a material of which thermal conductivity is higher than that of a material around the target region and having a structure penetrating from shallow layers to deep layers of the MLS;
controlling a relative position between the irradiated zone and the MLS so that the irradiated zone moves along the target region;
measuring electrical signals or electrical signal changes induced by a temperature increase in the MLS; and
identifying a location of the target region and locations of faults in the MLS based on the measured electrical signal or the measured electrical signal changes.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program for detecting locations of faults in a multilayer semiconductor (MLS), the program including instructions of:
outputting a laser beam;
directing the laser beam selectively onto a target region in the MLS to generate an irradiated zone in the MLS, the target region being made of a material of which thermal conductivity is higher than that of a material around the target region and having a structure penetrating from shallow layers to deep layers of the MLS;
controlling a relative position between the irradiated zone and the MLS so that the irradiated zone moves along the target region;
measuring electrical signals or signal changes induced by a temperature increase in the MLS, and
identifying a location of the target region and locations of faults in the MLS based on the measured electrical signal or the measured electrical signal changes.

Assignees

• Toshiba Memory Corp

Inventors

• Torres Juan Felipe
• Matsuoka Kei

Classifications

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H10P74/207

  Electrical properties, e.g. testing or measuring of resistance, deep levels or capacitance-voltage characteristics · CPC title

• G01R31/2851

  Testing of integrated circuits [IC] (G01R31/317 takes precedence; testing individual devices G01R31/26; testing printed circuits G01R31/2801) · CPC title

• G01R1/07

  Non contact-making probes · CPC title

• G01R31/311 Primary

  of integrated circuits {(G01R31/31728 takes precedence)} · CPC title