Electron beam testing of multilevel metal integrated circuits and electronic devices

Electron beam testing (EBT) technology is currently expanding into new applications while being constrained by the complexity of modern integrated circuits (ICs) which is a result of the advancements in new materials and materials processes. Thus, the purpose of this research was to examine the aspects of current EBT technology in terms of both the emerging new applications and the limits imposed by present day IC designs and to develop solutions when the barriers are reached. The growing applications of EBT technology to the verification of multi-chip modules, flat panel displays and other electronic components will require the systems to operate at very long working distances which allows large areas to be surveyed. Monte Carlo simulations as well as experimental measurements are used to examine how these new interconnect substrates will affect instrument performance and what solutions could be implemented. The primary constraint imposed by modern ICs is the use of multiple levels of metal for device interconnection and the accompanying dielectric materials. The insulating materials prevent direct electron beam probing of the buried conductors. One solution to this problem is to measure the capacitively coupled voltage on the dielectric surface, which is directly related to the buried conductor voltage. The present research examines the response of the most common dielectric (SiO...