Patent ID: 8536526

Claim:
A method for nanoprobing a device structure on a sample using at least one probe, the device structure including a contact and a sensitive region, the method comprising: positioning the at least one probe relative to a first region of the device structure including at least a portion of the contact and a second region of the device structure including the sensitive region; scanning a primary electron beam across the first region of the device structure and the at least one probe; masking the second region from exposure to the primary electron beam as the primary electron beam is scanned across the first region to protect the sensitive region of the device structure while imaging the non-masked portion of the contact; collecting secondary electrons emitted from the first region of the device structure and the at least one probe to form a secondary electron image in which the at least one probe appears as a first imaged portion of the secondary electron image, the first region of the device structure appears as a second imaged portion of the secondary electron image, and the second region of the device structure appears as a shadow in the secondary electron image that is embedded within the second imaged portion; while forming the secondary electron image including the first and second imaged portions, contacting the at least one probe with the contact; and while forming the secondary electron image including the first and second imaged portions, directing electrical test signals from the at least one probe to the contact to acquire an electrical measurement.