X-ray inspection apparatus for inspecting semiconductor wafers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10948425-B2
Application number	US-201515300476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2015
Priority date	Apr 4, 2014
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

An x-ray inspection system includes an x-ray source, a sample support for supporting a sample to be inspected, where the sample support includes a support surface extending in a horizontal plane, an x-ray detector, and a sample support positioning assembly for positioning the sample support relative to the x-ray source or x-ray detector. The sample positioning assembly includes a vertical positioning mechanism for moving the sample support in a vertical direction, orthogonal to the horizontal plane, and a first horizontal positioning mechanism for moving both the sample support and the vertical positioning mechanism in a first horizontal direction. This arrangement allows for accurate movement of the sample to different imaging positions in the horizontal plane and a low power vertical positioning mechanism to be used.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An x-ray inspection system, comprising:
an x-ray source;
a sample support supporting a sample to be inspected, wherein the sample support comprises a support surface extending in a horizontal plane;
an x-ray detector;
a sample support positioning assembly for positioning the sample support relative to the x-ray source or x-ray detector, wherein the sample positioning assembly comprises a vertical positioning mechanism for moving the sample support in a vertical direction, orthogonal to the horizontal plane, and a first horizontal positioning mechanism for moving both the sample support and the vertical positioning mechanism in a first horizontal direction; and
a detector positioning assembly for positioning the x-ray detector relative to the x-ray source, wherein the detector positioning assembly comprises a horizontal detector positioning mechanism for moving the detector in at least two non-parallel directions within a horizontal plane, and a detector tilting mechanism configured to allow the detector to be tilted from the horizontal plane about at least two non-parallel axes.

2. The x-ray inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the sample positioning assembly comprises a second horizontal positioning mechanism configured to move the sample support in a second horizontal direction, non-parallel to the first horizontal direction, wherein the vertical positioning mechanism is configured to move both the second horizontal positioning mechanism and the sample support in the vertical direction.

3. The x-ray inspection system according to claim 2 , further comprising a controller connected to the first and second horizontal positioning mechanisms and configured to control the first and second horizontal positioning mechanisms to move the sample support to perform a raster scan in horizontal plane relative to the x-ray source.

4. The x-ray inspection system according to claim 3 , wherein the scan lines extend in the second horizontal direction.

5. The x-ray inspection system according to claim 2 , wherein the vertical positioning mechanism has a shorter range of travel than the first and second horizontal positioning mechanisms.

6. The x-ray inspection system according to claim 2 , wherein the vertical positioning mechanism operates to move the sample support slower relative to the first and second horizontal positioning mechanisms.

7. The x-ray inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the positioning mechanisms comprise a least one motor.

8. The x-ray inspection system according to claim 1 , further comprising a frame configured to be fixed to a floor, wherein the first horizontal positioning mechanism is fixed to the frame.

9. The x-ray inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the sample support is configured to support a semiconductor wafer.

10. The x-ray inspection system according to claim 1 , further comprising a sample support position detection assembly comprising a laser interferometer positioned adjacent to the sample support and configured to detect a position or a change in position of the sample support.

11. The x-ray inspection system according to claim 1 , further comprising a proximity sensor fixed to the x-ray source for determining a distance between the x-ray source and a surface of a sample on the sample support.

12. The x-ray inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the x-ray inspection system is configured to perform a tomosynthesis calculation on images recorded by the x-ray detector.

13. An x-ray inspection system, comprising:
an x-ray source;
a sample support supporting a sample to be inspected, wherein the sample support comprises a support surface extending in a horizontal plane;
an x-ray detector; and
a sample support positioning assembly for positioning the sample support relative to the x-ray source or x-ray detector, wherein the sample positioning assembly comprises a vertical positioning mechanism for moving the sample support in a vertical direction, orthogonal to the horizontal plane, and a first horizontal positioning mechanism for moving both the sample support and the vertical positioning mechanism in a first horizontal direction,
wherein the x-ray source is located above the sample support.

Assignees

• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Walker William T
• King Phil

Classifications

• H10P74/203

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

• H10P72/0616

  Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/78

  using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/53

  using optical controlling means · CPC title

• G01N23/043 Primary

  using fluoroscopic examination, with visual observation or video transmission of fluoroscopic images · CPC title