Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Multidimensional structural access
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Application No.: US14432712Application Date: 2013-10-04
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Publication No.: US09696372B2Publication Date: 2017-07-04
- Inventor: Jeffrey Blackwood , Sang Hoon Lee , Michael Schmidt , Stacey Stone , Karey Holland
- Applicant: FEI Company
- Applicant Address: US OR Hillsboro
- Assignee: FEI Company
- Current Assignee: FEI Company
- Current Assignee Address: US OR Hillsboro
- Agency: Scheinberg & Associates, P.C.
- Agent John B. Kelly; Michael O. Scheinberg
- International Application: PCT/US2013/063556 WO 20131004
- International Announcement: WO2014/055935 WO 20140410
- Main IPC: G01R31/305
- IPC: G01R31/305 ; G01R31/265 ; G01N1/28 ; H01L21/66 ; G01N1/32 ; H01J37/30 ; H01J37/153 ; G01R31/307 ; G01R31/28 ; G01R31/312

Abstract:
Multiple planes within the sample are exposed from a single perspective for contact by an electrical probe. The sample can be milled at a non-orthogonal angle to expose different layers as sloped surfaces. The sloped edges of multiple, parallel conductor planes provide access to the multiple levels from above. The planes can be accessed, for example, for contacting with an electrical probe for applying or sensing a voltage. The level of an exposed layer to be contacted can be identified, for example, by counting down the exposed layers from the sample surface, since the non-orthogonal mill makes all layers visible from above. Alternatively, the sample can be milled orthogonally to the surface, and then tilted and/or rotated to provide access to multiple levels of the device. The milling is preferably performed away from the region of interest, to provide electrical access to the region while minimizing damage to the region.
Public/Granted literature
- US20150260784A1 Multidimensional Structural Access Public/Granted day:2015-09-17
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