Electron Beam Testing

Abstract

Publisher Summary The term “Electron Beam Testing” means the testing of electrical properties of a circuit or an electron device by using the electron beam. The commercial electron beam tester uses the probing action of an electron beam, and it can resolve 0.1 μ m spatially and subnanosecond in time. Its voltage sensitivity reaches 10 mV. It, however, needs: (i) high initial cost and (ii) high skill in testing. This chapter discusses how the electron beam is used and the information that can be derived from it. The main topic is the scan-display methods where the electron beam is used as a probe. Furthermore, the contactless current feedings are discussed followed by the voltage contrast that is the key technology in the electron beam testing. The electron beam testing is not completely nondestructive; the irradiation effects are also reviewed. The chapter also discusses the phenomena that the electron optical column differs in some respects from a usual scanning electron microscope.