English:
[0001] This disclosure relates generally to semiconductor devices, and more specifically, to testing semiconductor devices.
[0002] When semiconductor devices fail to work properly, failure analysis is performed to determine the cause of the problem. Failure analysis involves functional microprobing of device nodes. This can be performed by many different processes such as e-beam probing, probing of metal interconnects, laser voltage probing and time resolved light emitting microscopy (TRLEM). TRLEM is a preferred method and works well if the supply voltage is high. However, if the supply voltage is small (for example, approximately 1.5 V or less) then the signal generated from the TRLEM may be too small to be detected and failure analysis cannot be performed well. In addition, since TRLEM waveform acquisition techniques require a signal to be integrated over time, testing may be too slow (e.g., 12 hours or more).
[0003] The present invention is illustrated by way of example and is not limited by the accompanying figures, in which like references indicate similar elements. Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale.
[0004] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic of a system and device under test in accordance with an embodiment;
[0005] FIG. 2 illustrates a view of an inverter in accordance with an embodiment; and
[0006] FIG. 3 illustrates waveforms.
[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic of a system 10 and device under test (DUT) 12 in accordance with an embodiment. In one embodiment, the DUT 12 is a package including one or more integrated circuits. The DUT 12 can be any package type (e.g., a flip chip, a ball grid array, or a quad flat package). During testing, the DUT 12 is powered on.
[0009] The system includes a tester 14 coupled to a computer 16 that controls the tester 14. In one embodiment, the computer 16 generates test vectors that are applied to the DUT 12 by the tester 14. In one embodiment, a plurality of test vectors is iteratively executed on the DUT 12. In this embodiment, for each iteration the method(s) of testing described herein may be performed. Hence, the method may be a time resolved method. In another embodiment, described method(s) of testing is (are) performed after a test vector is applied to the DUT 12. Hence, the method may be a static method. For example, during testing, the system can pause on a time vector and a result can be detected, and then the testing can resume in a different area. Because a photon, which is the subject being detected, may not be emitted each time the DUT 12 (or a transistor thereof) is irradiated with light or may not be emitted in the direction of the detector, it may be desirable to perform loops or iterations of test vectors. In one embodiment, the test vector(s) is (are) executed at a speed of greater than one megahertz. This is advantageous over prior art failure analysis approaches where the speed of execution was much less.
[0010] The system 10 also includes a light beam emitter 18, a collimator 20, a band pass filter 22, a beam splitter 26 (which may be a diachronic beam splitter), an objective lens 24, a filter 28, a collimator 30, a photon detector 32, and a timing analyzer 38. In one embodiment, these features are incorporated into an infrared microscope. As will be better understood after further discussion, in this embodiment, the microscope can image the DUT 12 and collect a photon emission 46, which is used to perform failure analysis.
[0011] When the tester asserts a signal (e.g., a trigger signal), it turns on a photon detector 32. The system 10 may include other features, such as imaging apparatus or features, or shutters. Shutters are a mechanical curtain that can be used to only expose or view a small area of the DUT 12 (e.g., one transistor).
[0012] In one embodiment, the light beam emitter 18 is a laser. The laser may be a Nd:YAG laser. The light beam emitter can also be an ultra-high power light source or any other device that emits light. The light beam emitter 18 stimulates the OBIC signal for the DUT 12. More specifically, the light beam emitter 18 generates and emits a light beam 40 that passes through the collimator 20, which aligns the light beam 40 into a parallel beam so that it is neither focused nor divergent. After the light beam 40 passes through the collimator 20, the light beam may pass through the band pass filter 22, which, if present, filters only a predetermined wavelength or predetermined range of predetermined wavelengths to create the excitation light beam 41. In one embodiment, the band pass filter 22 is a laser line filter for 1064 nm wavelength light. In one embodiment, the excitation light beam 41 has energy that is greater than the band gap energy of a semiconductor material (e.g., the channel region) of the transistor being irradiated. The excitation light beam 41 reflects, in one embodiment approximately 90 degrees, off of the beam splitter 26. In one embodiment, the beam splitter 26 is a dichroic beam splitter that reflects approximately 95% of 1064 nm light and transmits light having a wavelength greater than approximately 1100 nm.
[0013] After the excitation light beam 41 is reflected, the excitation light beam 41 travels through the objective lens 24, which focuses the excitation light beam 41 on the DUT 12. Part of the excitation light beam 41 is reflected off of the DUT 12 to form the reflected excitation light beam 42. When the excitation light beam 42 travels through the beam splitter 26 a portion of the reflected excitation light beam 42 may be filtered or prevented from traveling past the beam splitter 26. After the excitation, light beam 42 travels through the beam splitter 26 the excitation light beam 42 becomes an attenuated reflected excitation light beam 44. Light beam 44 is then highly attenuated by optical filter 28. As will be better understood after discussion FIG. 2, when the DUT 12 (e.g., a transistor within the DUT 12) is irradiated with the excitation light beam 41 , current is induced and photon emission 46 is generated. In one embodiment, the photon emission 46 includes photons generated due to the excitation light beam 41 and photons that are naturally occurring. In one embodiment, the photon emission 46 also includes photons that are emitted due to the test vectors that are applied. The photon emission 46 travels through the beam splitter 26, the filter 28 and the collimator 30, and is received by the photon detector 32. In one embodiment, the filter 28 is a long pass filter. The filter is used to distinguish the light from the light beam emitter 18, which is the attenuated reflected excitation light beam 44, from the photon emission 46. The filtering can occur by the lights having different energies (wavelength) and filtering the wavelength of the undesired light. In one embodiment, the filter 28 is chosen so that it prevents the passage of light having the same wavelength or range of wavelengths of the light beam emitter 18 or the band pass filter 22, if present. Thus, the filter 28 only allows passage of the light that is a result of the photon emission, not the light that is originally from the light beam emitter 18. Thus, the system 10 differentiates between the incident light (the excitation light beam 41 that is reflected as reflected excitation light beam 42) and the photon emission 46. This is performed in the embodiment illustrated using the filter 28, but other methods can be used to differentiate the light.
[0014] In one embodiment, the photon detector 32 is an external detector mounted on an auxiliary port of the system 10. In this embodiment, a CW laser or pulsed laser may be used as the light beam emitter 18. A pulsed laser may be desired for static mapping of logic states as well as for reduction of photon emission noise sources due to sample heating. In one embodiment, the detector is a time-correlated-single-photon-counting (TCSPC) detector or another type of time discriminating detector.
[0015] The photon detector 32 sends a start signal 34 to the timing analyzer 38 when the system 10 is turned on and asserts a stop signal 36 when the photon detector 32 receives or detects a photon from the photon emission 46. When the timing analyzer 38 receives the stop signal 36 it updates a histogram. The histogram may be stored or viewed in the computer 16, with the time of the stop signal 36 to create a waveform, which will be better understood after discussion of FIG. 3. In one embodiment, the computer 16 accumulates a photon count over time of the photons , which are detected by the photon detector 32. The timing analyzer 38 is coupled to the computer 16. However, in other embodiments, instead of a waveform other results are generated. For example, the result could be a map of different colors.
[0016] In one embodiment, the photon emission 46 is detected while the DUT 12 is irradiated with the excitation light beam 41. In another embodiment, the photon emission 46 is detected after irradiating the DUT 12. In one embodiment, the DUT 12 is irradiated, the irradiating is stopped and then the photon emission 46 is detected.
[0017] The photon emission 46 has a different photon energy than the excitation light beam 41. In one embodiment, the wavelength of the photon emission 46 is more than the wavelength of the excitation light beam 41. In one embodiment, the wavelength of the photon emission 46 is less than the wavelength of the excitation light beam 41.
[0019] When the excitation light beam 41 hits the NMOS device 50, some of the excitation light beam 41 is reflected off of surfaces or interfaces. In the embodiment illustrated, the excitation light beam 41 is reflected off the interface between the semiconductor layer 57 and the insulating layer 56 as reflected excitation light beam 42. However, the reflected excitation light beam 42 can be the reflection of the excitation light beam 41 off of any or multiple surfaces or interfaces.
[0020] In addition, when the NMOS device 50 is irradiated with the excitation light beam 41 , an electron-hole pair is formed as illustrated by the minus and plus signs, respectively, within circles in FIG. 2. During irradiation, when the data out node voltage is set to high, so that the electric field 63 is present and the electron will accelerate to the drain 60, creating the light beam inducted current 68. The drain of the NMOS device 50 is probed during this process. If the data out node voltage is set so that the electric field 63 is greater than a saturated electrical field of the NMOS device 50 then the electron will be a hot electron, which may emit the photon emission 46.
[0021] FIG 3. illustrates a view of waveforms: a prior art photon emission waveform 84 and a photon emission waveform 90, in accordance with an embodiment. The x-axis 80 is the time axis, which in one embodiment may be picoseconds. The y-axis 82 is the photon count rate axis 82. The prior art photon emission waveform 84 is an example of a waveform created using TRLEM. The prior art photon emission waveform 84 includes a high to low drain transition peak 86 and noise 88 that is from the detector and any stray photons naturally created by the system 10. Thus, by using the prior art TRLEM technique it can be determined when the DUT 12 has undergone a high to low drain transition by looking at the high to low drain transition peak 86. However, as explained above, this technique is not useful as the supply voltage decreases for semiconductor devices. When the supply voltage decreases the photo count rate decreases so that the high to low drain transition peak 86 is harder to distinguish from the noise 88.
[0022] In contrast, the photon emission waveform 90 can be used with devices having low supply voltages. The photon emission waveform 90 includes noise 92. The noise 92 of the photon emission waveform 90 is illustrated as being greater than the noise 88 of the prior art photon emission waveform 84 since the waveforms are on the same scale. However, a skilled artisan can optimize the process to decrease the noise 92, if desired. The photon emission waveform 90 includes a high to low drain transition peak 94, that is similar to the prior arts high to low drain transition peak 86 since it is located at the same point in time. In addition, the photon emission waveform 90 includes another peak, which was an unexpected benefit. This new peak is a low to high drain transition peak 96. Thus, with the photon emission waveform 90 one can determine when the data in node of the inventor 70 went from low too high and then high to low. In addition, one can determine how long the NMOS device 70 is in the high state.
[0023] The waveform 100 illustrates the corresponding voltage applied to data out. The x-axis 102 is the time axis and corresponds to the time axis 80. The y-axis 104 is the voltage axis. During portion 106, data out is low (e.g., "0") and the NMOS device 50 is at a first state. When the data out switches to high (e.g., "1"), the voltage increases and a transition 108 occurs so that the NMOS device 50 is switched to a second state. Thus portion 110 is when the data out is high and the NMOS device 50 is at the second state. When the data out switches to low, the voltage decreases and a transition 1 12 occurs so that NMOS device 50 is switched to a third state, which may be the same as the first state as shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3. During portion 1 14, the NMOS device 50 is in a third state, which may be the same as the first state. The transitions 108 and 1 12, which occur when the voltage is changed, correspond to the transitions 94 and 96 of the photon emission waveform 90. Thus, the transitions 94 and 96 indicate presence of a saturation current in a transistor of the DUT 12. The light beam induced emission at the high state 98, which occurs between the transitions 96 and 94, detects a leakage current in a transistor of the DUT 12, where the leakage current is due to the light beam. Thus, by creating the photon emission waveform 90 a state change of a drain of a transistor in the DUT 12 can be detected.
[0024] A TRLEM system can be used to detect the photons. However, other systems can be used. For example, non-time resolved systems can be used. The system described should be usable for the 45 nm technology node using SOI substrates. Technology that uses an SOI substrate is more difficult to test. While the industry does not know exactly why SOI substrates are more difficult to test, it is likely due to the electric field around the drain in devices built using an SOI substrate is less (e.g., by a factor of 100) than the electric field around the drain in devices built on bulk substrates (e.g., silicon substrates). For example, laser voltage probing can be used to test devices built on bulk substrates at small geometries, but does not work for devices built on SOI substrates. (The system can be used for logic state mapping.
[0025] By now it should be appreciated that there has been provided a method and system for testing a semiconductor device where OBIC current in the device results in emitted photons. This method and system uses a nonpassive method to measure photons of a powered semiconductor device because an OBIC current is generated by irradiating a transistor. Unlike other measurement techniques that can be used for different functions (e.g., Raman spectroscopy), the feature being analyzed (here a semiconductor device) is powered. Hence, a current is present. The method and system described improves the internal signal acquisition for functional debug and failure analysis. Hence, the signal to noise ratio is improved. In one embodiment, this method and system can be used to detect a transmission at 1 gigahertz or more. In one embodiment, this method and system can be used to detect a transmission at greater than 1 megahertz.
[0026] Although the invention has been described with respect to specific conductivity types or polarity of potentials, skilled artisans appreciated that conductivity types and polarities of potentials may be reversed. For example, a PMOS transistor can be irradiated instead of an NMOS transistor.
[0027] Moreover, the terms "front," "back," "top," "bottom," "over," "under" and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
[0028] Although the invention is described herein with reference to specific embodiments, various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. For example, the NMOS device in FIG. 2 is only one example of a device that can be analyzed. For example, the support structure 54 may not be present. This allows for a shorter wavelength to be used to image and provide the excitation beam 41. In one embodiment where the support structure 54 is not present, a UV wavelength laser is used with the objective lens 24. Benefits may include increased spatial resolution and increased signal to noise improvements due to increased efficiency of the OBIC generation process. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. Any benefits, advantages, or solutions to problems that are described herein with regard to specific embodiments are not intended to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims.

中文:
[0001]本公开总体上涉及半导体器件,并且更具体地说,涉及半导体器件的测试。
[0002]当半导体器件不能适当地工作时,执行故障分析,以确定问题的起因。故障分析涉及对器件节点的功能性微探测(functionalmicroprobing)。这可以通过诸如e射束探测、金属互连探测、激光电压探测以及时间分辨发光显微术(TRLEM)的许多不同处理来执行。TRLEM是一种优选方法并且在电源电压高的情况下工作良好。然而,如果电源电压小(例如,大约1.5V或更小),则由TRLEM生成的信号可能太小而无法检测,并且不能很好地执行故障分析。另外,因为TRLEM波形获取技术需要信号随着时间积分,所以测试可能太慢(例如,12小时或更多)。
[0003]本发明通过示例的方法进行说明,并且不局限于附图,在附图中,相同标号指相似部件。图中的部件出于简化和清楚的目的示出,并且不必按比例绘制。
[0004]图1示出了根据一实施例的系统和进行测试的器件的示意图;
[0005]图2示出了根据一实施例的反相器(inverter)的示图;以及
[0006]图3示出了波形。
[0008]图1示出了根据一实施例的系统10和进行测试的器件(DUT)12的示意图。在一个实施例中,DUT 12是包括一个或多个集成电路的封装件。DUT 12可以是任何封装类型(例如,倒装芯片、球栅阵列、四方扁平封装)。在测试期间,DUT 12被加电。
[0009]该系统包括耦合至计算机16的测试器14,该计算机控制测试器14。在一个实施例中,计算机16生成通过测试器14施加至DUT 12的测试矢量。在一个实施例中,将多个测试矢量在DUT 12上迭代地执行。在该实施例中,对于每一次迭代来说,可以执行在此描述的测试方法。因此,该方法可以是时间分辨(time resolved)方法。在另一实施例中,在将测试矢量施加至DUT 12之后执行所述测试方法。因此,该方法可以是静态方法。例如,在测试期间,该系统可以在时间矢量上暂停,并且可以检测结果,接着可以在不同区域中恢复测试。因为作为被检测主体的光子无法在每次利用光照射DUT 12(或其晶体管)时发射,或者无法沿检测器的方向发射,所以可能希望执行测试矢量的循环或迭代。在一个实施例中,按大于一兆赫兹的速度执行测试矢量。这比执行速度小得多的现有技术的故障分析方法有利。
[0010]系统10还包括:光束发射器18、准直仪20、带通过滤器22、分束器26(其可以是二色分束器)、物镜24、过滤器28、准直仪30、光子检测器32,以及定时分析器38。在一个实施例中,这些特征被并入到红外线显微镜中。如在进一步的讨论之后将更好地理解的,在这个实施例中,该显微镜可以对DUT 12成像并收集被用于执行故障分析的光子发射46。
[0011]当测试器发出(assert)信号(例如,触发信号)时,其开启光子检测器32。系统10可以包括其它特征,如成像装置或特征,或快门。快门是一种机械隔板,其可以被用于仅暴露或观看DUT 12的小区域(例如,一个晶体管)。
[0012]在一个实施例中,光束发射器18是激光器。该激光器可以是Nd:YAG激光器。该光束发射器也可以是超高功率光源或发射光的任何其它器件。光束发射器18激发针对DUT 12的OBIC信号。更具体地说,光束发射器18生成并发射通过准直仪20的光束40,该准直仪将光束40对准成并行光束,以使其既不聚焦也不发散。在光束40通过准直仪20之后,该光束可以通过带通过滤器22,如果带通过滤器22存在的话,则仅过滤预定波长或预定范围的预定波长,以生成激励光束41。在一个实施例中,带通过滤器22是针对1064nm波长光的激光线过滤器。在一个实施例中,激励光束41的能量大于被照射晶体管的半导体材料(例如,沟道区域)的能带隙能量。在一个实施例中,该激励光束41以大约90度反射离开分束器26。在一个实施例中,分束器26是二色分束器,其反射大约95%的1064nm光,而透射具有大于1100nm的波长的光。
[0013]在激励光束41反射之后,该激励光束41通过物镜24,该物镜将激励光束41聚焦在DUT 12上。激励光束41的一部分被反射离开DUT12,以形成反射激励光束42。当激励光束42通过分束器26时,该反射激励光束42的一部分可以被过滤或者被防止穿越分束器26。在激励之后,光束42通过分束器26,该激励光束42变为衰减的反射激励光束44。接着,光束44被光学过滤器28高度衰减。如在图2的讨论之后将更好地理解的,当利用激励光束41照射DUT 12(例如,DUT12内的晶体管)时,感生出电流并产生光子发射。在一个实施例中,光子发射46包括因激励光束41而生成的光子和自然出现的光子。在一个实施例中,光子发射46还包括因施加测试矢量而发射的光子。光子发射46通过分束器26、过滤器28以及准直仪30,并且被光子检测器32接收。在一个实施例中,过滤器28是宽带过滤器(long passfilter)。该过滤器被用于从光子发射46中辨别来自光束发射器18的、作为衰减的反射激励光束44的光。该过滤可能因光具有不同能量(波长)并且过滤掉不希望的光波长而出现。在一个实施例中,如果过滤器28存在,则选择过滤器28,以使其防止光束发射器18或带通过滤器22的具有相同波长或波长范围的光通过。因而,过滤器28仅允许作为光子反射的结果的光通过,而不允许源自光束发射器18的光通过。因而,系统10在入射光(反射为反射激励光束42的激励光束41)与光子发射46之间进行区分。这在所示实施例中利用过滤器28来执行,但可以将其它方法用于区分光。
[0014]在一个实施例中,光子检测器32是安装在系统10的辅助端口上的外部检测器。在该实施例中,CW激光器或脉冲激光器可以被用作光束发射器18。脉冲激光器可以被希望用于逻辑状态的静态映射以及用于减少因样本发热而产生的光子发射噪声源。在一个实施例中,检测器是时间相关单一光子计数(TCSPC)检测器或另一类型的时间辨别检测器。
[0015]光子检测器32在系统10被启动时向定时分析器38发送开始信号34,并且在光子检测器32接收到或检测到来自光子发射46的光子时发出停止信号36。当定时分析器38接收到该停止信号36时,其更新直方图。相对于停止信号36的时间,所述直方图可以被存储或在计算机16中观看,以生成波形,这在对图3的讨论之后将更好地理解。在一个实施例中,计算机16相对于光子检测器32检测到光子的时间,而累积光子计数。定时分析器38被耦合至计算机16。然而,在其它实施例中,代替波形,生成其它结果。例如,该结果可以是不同颜色的图。
[0016]在一个实施例中,在利用激励光束41照射DUT 12时检测光子发射46。在另一实施例中,在照射DUT 12之后检测光子发射46。在一个实施例中,照射DUT 12,停止照射,然后检测光子发射。
[0017]与激励光束41相比,光子发射46具有不同的光子能量。在一个实施例中,光子发射46的波长大于激励光束41的波长。在一个实施例中,光子发射46的波长小于激励光束41的波长。
[0019]当激励光束41撞击NMOS器件50时,该激励光束41中的一些被反射离开表面或分界面。在所示实施例中,激励光束41被反射离开半导体层57与绝缘层56之间的分界面,作为反射激励光束42。然而,该反射激励光束42可以是反射离开任何或多个表面或分界面的激励光束41。
[0020]另外,当利用激励光束41照射NMOS器件50时,形成电子-空穴对,如图2中圆圈内分别用减号和加号所示。在照射期间,当数据输出节点电压被设置成高时,存在电场63,并且使电子加速至漏极60,生成光束感生电流68。在该处理期间探测NMOS器件50的漏极。如果数据输出节点电压被设置成使得电场63大于NMOS器件50的饱和电场,则电子将成为热电子,其可以发出光子发射46。
[0021]图3示出了现有技术的光子发射波形84和根据一实施例的光子发射波形90的波形图。x轴80是时间轴,其在一个实施例中可以为皮秒(picosecond)。y轴82是光子计数比率轴82。现有技术的光子发射波形84是利用TRLEM生成的波形的例子。现有技术的光子发射波形84包括高-低漏极转变峰(drain transition peak)86和来自检测器的噪声88,以及由系统10自然生成的任何杂散光子。因而,通过利用现有技术的TRLEM技术,通过观察高-低漏极转变峰86,可以确定何时DUT 12进行高-低漏极转变。然而,如上所述,当针对半导体器件电源电压降低时,该技术不太有用。当电源电压降低时,光子计数比率降低,使得高-低漏极转变峰86更难于与噪声88区分。
[0022]与此相反,光子发射波形90可以与具有低电源电压的器件一起使用。光子发射波形90包括噪声92。因为波形采用相同的比例,所以光子发射波形90中的噪声92被显示为大于现有技术的光子发射波形84的噪声88。然而,如果希望的话,技术人员可以优化该处理以降低噪声92。光子发射波形90包括高-低漏极转变峰94,因为其位于相同时间点处,因此其类似于现有技术的高-低漏极转变峰86。另外,光子发射波形90包括另一峰,这是未意料到的益处。该新峰是低-高漏极转变峰96。因而,利用光子发射波形90,可以确定反相器70的数据输入节点何时从低变到高并接着从高变到低。另外,可以确定NMOS器件70处于高状态多久。
[0023]波形100示出了施加至数据输出的对应电压。x轴102是时间轴,并且对应于时间轴80。y轴104是电压轴。在部分106期间,数据输出为低(例如,“0”),并且NMOS器件50处于第一状态。当数据输出切换成高(例如,“1”)时,该电压增加并且出现转变108,从而将NMOS器件50切换成第二状态。因而,部分110是数据输出为高并且NMOS器件50处于第二状态的时间。当数据输出切换成低时,电压降低并且出现转变112,从而将NMOS器件50切换成第三状态,该第三状态可以与第一状态相同,如图3所示实施例中所示。在部分114期间,NMOS器件50处于第三状态,其可以和第一状态相同。在电压改变时出现的转变108和112对应于光子发射波形90的转变94和96。因而,转变94和96表示DUT 12的晶体管中存在饱和电流。在转变96与94之间出现的高状态98下的光束感生发射检测DUT 12的晶体管中的泄漏电流,其中,该泄漏电流是由于光束造成的。因而,通过生成光子发射波形90,可以检测DUT 12中的晶体管的漏极的状态变化。
[0024]可以将TRLEM系统用于检测光子。然而,可以使用其它系统。例如,可以使用非时间分辨系统。该系统应当可用于利用SOI基板的45nm技术的节点。使用SOI基板的技术更难于测试。虽然本行业未确切地获知为什么SOI基板更难于测试,但其很可能归因于利用SOI基板构建的器件中的漏极周围的电场小于(例如,小100倍)构建在主体基板(例如,硅基板)上的器件中的漏极周围的电场。例如,可以将激光电压探测用于测试以较小几何结构构建在主体基板上的器件,但无法用于构建在SOI基板上的器件(该系统可以被用于逻辑状态映射)。
[0025]至此,应当清楚,已经提供了一种用于测试半导体器件的方法和系统,其中,该器件中的OBIC电流导致发射光子。因为通过照射晶体管来生成OBIC电流,所以该方法和系统使用非被动(nonpassive)方法来测量加电半导体器件的光子。与可以用于不同功能的其它测量技术(例如,拉曼光谱法)不同,将被分析特征(在此为半导体器件)加电。因此,存在电流。所述方法和系统改进了用于功能调试和故障分析的内部信号获取。由此,改进了信噪比。在一个实施例中,该方法和系统可以被用于检测1千兆赫兹或以上的发射。在一个实施例中,该方法和系统可以被用于检测大于1兆赫兹的发射。
[0026]尽管本发明已经参照特定导电性类型或电势极性进行了描述,但技术人员清楚该导电性类型和电势极性可以相反。例如,可以代替NMOS晶体管,照射PMOS晶体管。
[0027]此外,本描述中和权利要求书中的术语“前”、“后”、“顶”、“底”、“上”、“下”等(若有的话)被用于描述性目的而不必用于描述永久的相对位置。应当理解,这样使用的术语在适当的环境下可互换,从而使得在此描述的本发明的实施例与在此示出或以其它方式描述的那些实施例相比,例如能够按其它取向操作。
[0028]尽管在此参照具体实施例描述了本发明,但在不脱离如下权利要求书中阐述的本发明的范围的情况下,可以进行各种修改和改变。例如,图2中的NMOS器件仅是可以分析的器件的一个示例。例如,支承结构54可以不存在。这使得能够将更短波长用于成像并提供激励光束41。在一个不存在支承结构54的实施例中,UV波长激光器与物镜24一起使用。益处可以包括因OBIC生成处理效率增加而增加空间分辨率以及提高信号-噪声改进。因此,本说明书和附图被视为示例性而非限制性意义,并且全部这种修改都意图被包括在本发明的范围内。针对在此相对于具体实施例描述的问题的任何益处、优点,或解决方案都不应被解释为任何或全部权利要求的关键性的、必需的,或基本特征或要素。