Inspection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12439607-B2
Application number	US-202318533528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2023
Priority date	Dec 16, 2022
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

An inspection device improves accuracy characteristics of an (MRAM), the inspection device including a stage on which a MRAM element is fixed, and electromagnets generating a first magnetic field. A magnetic field having a component in a direction perpendicular to the stage is changeable from a first direction to a second direction according to a position on the stage. A second magnetic field in which a direction of a magnetic field component is parallel to the stage changes from a third direction to a fourth direction according to the position on the stage, an optical system illuminating the MRAM element with light including polarized light, and condensing reflected light from reflected illumination light from the MRAM element, and a detector detecting reflected light when the position of the MRAM element is changed, and when the position of the MRAM element in the second magnetic field is changed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inspection device comprising:
a stage having a stage surface and fixing a magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) element on the stage surface;
a plurality of electromagnets generating a first magnetic field in which a direction of a magnetic field component in a vertical direction, perpendicular to the stage surface, changes from a first direction to a second direction, opposite to the first direction, according to a position on the stage surface, and a second magnetic field in which a direction of a magnetic field component in an in-plane direction, parallel to the stage surface, changes from a third direction to a fourth direction, opposite to the third direction, according to the position on the stage surface;
an optical system illuminating the MRAM element with illumination light including polarized light, and simultaneously condensing reflected light from which the illumination light is reflected from the MRAM element; and
a detector detecting the reflected light when the position of the MRAM element in the first magnetic field is changed, and the reflected light when the position of the MRAM element in the second magnetic field is changed.

2. The inspection device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, when the position of the MRAM element is altered to change from the first direction to the second direction in the first magnetic field, a magnetic field component in a direction that is perpendicular to a first scan direction from the first direction to the second direction and perpendicular to the vertical direction, is 0.

3. The inspection device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, when the position of the MRAM element is altered to change from the third direction to the fourth direction in the second magnetic field, a magnetic field component in a second scan direction from the third direction to the fourth direction and the magnetic field component in the vertical direction is 0.

4. The inspection device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of electromagnets includes at least four electromagnets including a first electromagnet, a second electromagnet, a third electromagnet, and a fourth electromagnet,
the first electromagnet includes a first coil that is wound in a predetermined direction on a first vertical portion of a first yoke having an L-shape,
the first yoke has the first vertical portion extending in the vertical direction and a first in-plane portion extending in the in-plane direction,
the second electromagnet includes a second coil that is wound in the predetermined direction on a second vertical portion of a second yoke having an L-shape, wherein the second yoke has the second vertical portion extending in the vertical direction and a second in-plane portion extending in the in-plane direction,
the third electromagnet includes a third coil that is wound in the predetermined direction on a third vertical portion of a third yoke having an L-shape, wherein the third yoke has the third vertical portion extending in the vertical direction and a third in-plane portion extending in the in-plane direction,
the fourth electromagnet includes a fourth coil that is wound in the predetermined direction on a fourth vertical portion of a fourth yoke having an L-shape, wherein the fourth yoke has the fourth vertical portion extending in the vertical direction and a fourth in-plane portion extending in the in-plane direction,
the first in-plane portion and the second in-plane portion extend in one direction, and an end portion of the first in-plane portion and the end portion of the second in-plane portion oppose in the one direction, and
the third in-plane portion and the fourth in-plane portion extend in a direction, orthogonal to the one direction, and the end portion of the third in-plane portion and the end portion of the fourth in-plane portion oppose in the one direction.

5. The inspection device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein
the first magnetic field is generated by flowing a current in a fifth direction through the first coil, flowing the current in a sixth direction, opposite to the fifth direction, through the second coil, and setting the current flowing in the third coil and the fourth coil to be 0, and
the second magnetic field is generated by flowing the current in the fifth direction through the first coil and the second coil, and simultaneously flowing the current in the sixth direction through the third coil and the fourth coil.

6. The inspection device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein
the fifth direction is a counterclockwise direction, and
the sixth direction is a clockwise direction.

7. The inspection device as claimed in claim 4 , further includes a connection plate connecting an upper end of the first vertical portion, an upper end of the second vertical portion, an upper end of the third vertical portion, and an upper end of the fourth vertical portion.

8. The inspection device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the detector detects the reflected light when the position of the MRAM element in the first magnetic field is scanned in the one direction, and detects the reflected light when the position of the MRAM element in the second magnetic field is scanned in a direction of 45 degrees with regard to the one direction and the direction orthogonal to the one direction.

9. The inspection device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an information processing unit that processes an image of the reflected light detected by the detector,
wherein the information processing unit performs an inspection of a defect in the MRAM element by the magnetic field component in the vertical direction, from a differing image between the image in a magnetic field component in the first direction and the image in a magnetic field component in the second direction.

10. The inspection device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an information processing unit processing an image of the reflected light detected by the detector,
wherein the information processing unit performs an inspection of a defect in the MRAM element by the magnetic field component in the in-plane direction, from a differing image between the image in a magnetic field component in the third direction and the image in a magnetic field component in the fourth direction.

11. The inspection device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a wafer supply cassette;
a wafer transfer robot transferring a wafer including the MRAM element from the wafer supply cassette to an internal space of the inspection device; and
a pre-wafer alignment device correcting a rotation angle and shift of the wafer.

12. The inspection device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a base serving a base on which members such as the stage, and the optical system;
an active isolator suppressing vibration of the members on the base;
a wedge performing horizontal adjustment of the base and the active isolator; and
a distribution plane distributing a load of the inspection device to a floor,
a wafer transfer robot transferring a wafer including the MRAM element from the wafer supply cassette to an internal space of the inspection device; and
a pre-wafer alignment device correcting a rotation angle and shift of the wafer.

13. An inspection device comprising:
a stage having a stage surface and fixing a magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) element on the stage surface;
a first electromagnet, a second electromagnet, a third electromagnet and a fourth electromagnet each includes a yoke whose end faces a predetermined area and a coil wound around yoke in the same direction, wherein an end of a yoke of the first electromagnet and an end of

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Kenji
• Kim Ingi
• Numata Mitsunori
• Ueyama Shinji
• Onishi Tomoki

Classifications

• H01F2007/062

  Details of terminals or connectors for electromagnets · CPC title

• G01R31/302

  Contactless testing {(G01R31/66 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01R13/40

  using modulation of a light beam otherwise than by mechanical displacement, e.g. by Kerr effect {(visual indication of correct tuning H03J3/14)} · CPC title

• G01R33/0325

  using the Kerr effect · CPC title

• H01F7/06

  Electromagnets; Actuators including electromagnets {(electric coils H01F5/00; devices for holding workpieces using electric force B23Q3/15; load-engaging elements for lifting articles electromagnetically B66C1/06; electromagnetic couplings F16D27/00; magnetic brakes F16D63/002; electromagnetically operated valves F16K11/24, F16K31/00; analysing materials by magnetic means G01N27/72, G01N27/80; electromagnets for winding mechanical clocks G04C1/02; electromagnetic relays H01H51/00; windings for salient poles of dynamo-electric machines H02K3/18; electromagnets for telegraphic communication H04L; for arc lamps H05B31/28)} · CPC title