Patent EP0066070A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0066070A1
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Method and apparatus for contactless electrical testing
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1982-04-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-04-15
Abstract
Abstract An electron beam system for non-contact testing of three-dimensional networks of conductors embedded in dielectric material, specifically detecting open and short circuit conditions in top-to-bottom and top-to-top surface wirings is disclosed. The system comprises two flood beams (42, 44) and a scanning beam (12) with one flood beam located at either side of the specimen (36). Proper choice of acceleration potentials. beam currents and dwell times of the beams allow alteration of the secondary electron beam emission from the specimen, measured by a secondary electron detector (45) in such a way that electrical properties of the conductor networks can be measured directly. The difference in secondary electron emission resulting from different surface potentials is detected as a strong signal which allows clear discrimination between uninterrupted and interrupted as well as shorted pairs of conductors. This testing system can be applied to the high speed testing of advanced VLSI packaging substrates as well as to the greensheets, sublaminates, and laminates from which such substrates are fabricated.
Inventors
- 👤 Hans Christian Pfeiffer
- 👤 Robert Arthur Simpson
- 👤 Werner Stickel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 18:15
CPC Classifications
B; B82; B82Y; B82Y15/00; G; G01; G01R; G01R31/00; G01R31/28; G01R31/302; G01R31/305
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
87 words
A contactless testing method for conductors disposed in an insulator, parts of said conductors being exposed at one or more surface of said insulator, characterized by electron beam irradiating at least one of said surfaces to charge said exposed conductor parts to a first potential, electron beam discharging at least a first exposed conductor part to change said first potential to a second potential, and selectively electron beam scanning at least a second exposed conductor part to determine whether it has said first or said second potential.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
87 words
A contactless testing method for conductors disposed in an insulator, parts of said conductors being exposed at one or more surface of said insulator, characterized by electron beam irradiating at least one of said surfaces to charge said exposed conductor parts to a first potential, electron beam discharging at least a first exposed conductor part to change said first potential to a second potential, and selectively electron beam scanning at least a second exposed conductor part to determine whether it has said first or said second potential.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
The testing method of claim 1 for conductors, parts of which are exposed on two opposite surface of said insulator, further comprising flooding one said surface with a first electron beam, and scanning said opposite surface, in particular said exposed conductor parts, with a second electron beam to determine electrical conduction or interruption of said conductors by measuring the potential.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
23 words
The method of claims 1 or 2, wherein the step of irradiating comprises pulsed irradiation prior to the steps of discharging and/or scanning.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
20 words
The method of claims 1 or 2, wherein the step of irradiating comprises continued irradiation of said surface during scanning.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
20 words
The method of claims 1 or 2, wherein the step of irradiating comprises continued irradiation of said surface during scanning.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
33 words
The method of claims 1 or 2, wherein said scanning generates emission of secondary electrons at said scanned conductor part and sensing the emission of such secondary electrons to provide an output signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of generating a digitized output signal indicative of the potential of the surface scanned, and comparing said output signal with a predetermined signal.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
36 words
The method of claims 1 or 2, wherein the step of scanning comprises stepping an electron beam from one predetermined address to another predetermined address, said predetermined addresses being exposed conductor part locations on said surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
79 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of scanning one exposed part of a first conductor at a chip site on said insulator to change the potential of all exposed parts of said first conductor, and scanning all other exposed parts of said first conductor as well as other conductors at said chip site to determine whether said other exposed parts of said first conductor and of the other conductors have changed their potential by said scanning.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
85 words
Apparatus for contactless testing electrical properties of conductors in insulating structures (36), parts (1-6) of said conductors being exposed at one or more surfaces of said structure, characterized by one or more electron beam generators (42, 44) for flooding one or more surfaces of said structure, a scanning electron beam generator (12) for irradiating selected portions of one surface of said structure, and detector means (45) for sensing the generation of secondary electrons emitted from said selected portions during irradiation by the scanning electron beam.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
85 words
Apparatus for contactless testing electrical properties of conductors in insulating structures (36), parts (1-6) of said conductors being exposed at one or more surfaces of said structure, characterized by one or more electron beam generators (42, 44) for flooding one or more surfaces of said structure, a scanning electron beam generator (12) for irradiating selected portions of one surface of said structure, and detector means (45) for sensing the generation of secondary electrons emitted from said selected portions during irradiation by the scanning electron beam.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said electron beam generators comprise a pair of flood electron beam generators (42, 44) for charging opposite surfaces of said structure (36) .
Claim 14
Independent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claims 9 or 10, further comprising signal processor means (46) connected to said detector means (45) and converting an analog input to a digital output.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a means (16, 18) for deflecting across the surface of said structure (36) an electron beam generated by said scanning electron beam generator (12) receives input data indicative of addresses of portions to be scanned.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
67 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said signal processor means (46) includes comparator means, said means (16, 18) for deflecting said scanning electron beam receives input data indicative of expected output values of secondary electron emission for each address scanned, and said comparator compares the digital output with said expected output values and generates a signal indicative of whether a difference exists between expected and actual values.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least one of said flood electron beam generators (42) is positioned outside the deflection range of said scanning electron beam generator (12), and said detector means (45) is positioned to receive secondary electron emission from any portion of said structure (36) but is outside the deflection range of said scanning electron beam generator.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 9-or 10, wherein said flood electron beam generators (42, 44) have different acceleration voltages and particularly the acceleration voltage for said scanning electron beam is different from that of either of said flood electron beam generators.
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