Patent ID: 7823452

Claim:
Apparatus for Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) of a semiconductor device with an acoustic scanning probe comprising: said semiconductor device including a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and with acoustic transmission fluid retained in contact with said second surface by a dam; said apparatus comprising: a sealed lower space providing an environment surrounding said first surface comprising an atmosphere selected from a gas and a vacuum; an upper sealing ring structure formed above said second surface retaining an upper gasket in said upper sealing ring, with said upper gasket in contact with said second surface, with said upper sealing ring structure and said upper gasket forming said dam for retaining said acoustic transmission fluid above said second surface; a fixture base retaining a lower gasket in a lower sealing ring, with said lower gasket in contact with said first surface surrounding said first surface; and said acoustic scanning probe positioned confronting said second surface with said acoustic scanning probe extending into said acoustic transmission fluid which is retained in contact with said second surface by said dam.