Patent ID: 7034563
Filing Date: 2006-04-25
Classification: G01R,H01L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for measurement of dielectric layer properties and thickness of dielectric layers on semiconductor product wafers as well as wafer substrate properties comprising: a means for providing electrical contact to a dielectric layer of the wafer comprising a conductive probe further comprising a shaped conductive needle with polished flat ending installed into self alignment means for establishing conformal contact between the needle flat ending and the dielectric layer, wherein the self alignment means comprises a nonconductive disk with the needle inserted into it substantially perpendicular to the disk surface, the disk with the needle is mounted into a holder that is made in form of a thin wall cylinder made of highly elastic and chemically stable material with interleaved openings on the cylinder wall where the openings are in sequential rows disposed along the cylinder axis and rotated at 90° or at a smaller angle, a fixture for the self alignment means that is mounted on a massive bridge, a conductive vacuum chuck for supporting a wafer and for providing electrical contact to the wafer back side, a mechanism for supporting the conductive vacuum chuck, means for stimulating electric current flow through the dielectric layer, and means for determining electrical properties of the dielectric layer, in which both means are electrically connected with the conductive probe and the vacuum chuck.