Patent ID: 7961307
Filing Date: 2011-06-14
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A structure, comprising: a semiconductor chip comprising a substrate and a dielectric interconnect in direct mechanical contact with each other at an interface, wherein the substrate comprises semiconductor circuit elements, and wherein an index of refraction of the dielectric interconnect (n a SIL/NAIL denoting a solid immersion lens (SIL) or a numerical aperture increasing lens (NAIL), wherein an index of refraction of the SIL/NAIL with respect to the monochromatic light is about equal to the index of refraction of the substrate (n an optical microscope having an objective lens and configured to direct the monochromatic light toward the SIL/NAIL; and an optical stop, wherein either the objective lens is disposed between the stop and the SIL/NAIL or the stop is disposed between the objective lens and the SIL/NAIL, wherein the stop is opaque to the monochromatic light, wherein the stop has a sufficiently large size to prevent all subcritical angular components of the monochromatic light from being incident on the SIL/NAIL upon being directed toward the SIL/NAIL from the optical microscope, and wherein the subcritical angular components are subcritical with respect to a critical angle for total internal reflection at the interface.