Device and method for reducing failure rate of FIB sample stage

Abstract

The invention discloses a device for reducing the failure rate of an FIB sample table. The device comprises a box body. A first sample placing area is arranged on a bottom plate of the box body and used for placing samples. An air inlet pipe is arranged on a top plate of the box body, the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe is used for being connected with an external purging air source, the air outlet end of the air inlet pipe is located in the box body, and the air inlet pipe is used for introducing purging air into the box body and forming purging airflow to purge a sample. A plurality of exhaust holes are formed in a bottom plate of the box body and used for exhausting the purging gas out of the box body. The sample is matched with the FIB sample table, and the sample is firstly placed in the box body to be purged before being placed on the FIB sample table, so that chippings on the sample are prevented from entering the FIB sample table, and the failure rate of the FIB sample table is reduced. The invention further discloses a method for reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample table. According to the FIB sample table, chippings or dust on the sample can be prevented from falling on the track of the FIB sample table, and the failure rate of the FIB sample table can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing, and in particular to a device for reducing the failure rate of a focused ion beam (FIB) sample stage. The present invention also relates to a method for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage. Background Art

[0002] The FIB machine has a sample stage for carrying samples. After the sample is placed on the sample stage, the position and focus of the sample are controlled by moving the XYZ axis. The sample is a thin film structure, and some samples need to be thinned to form TEM samples for TEM observation. Because the sample is small and thin, the sample needs to be glued to the carrier with special glue, and a scraper is required to remove the sample. Debris will inevitably be generated during the operation. If the sample is directly placed on the stage of the FIB machine, the debris and dust on the sample will fall on the track of the stage. These fallen debris or dust will accumulate over a long period of time and cause the stage to jam. Summary of the invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a device for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage, which can reduce the debris or dust on the sample from falling on the track of the FIB sample stage, thereby reducing the accumulation of debris or dust on the track of the FIB sample stage and thus reducing the probability of the FIB sample stage getting stuck. To this end, the present invention also provides a method for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the device for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage provided by the present invention comprises: a box body.

[0005] The bottom plate of the box body is provided with a first sample placement area for placing samples.

[0006] An air inlet pipe is arranged on the top plate of the box body, the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe is used to be connected to an external purge gas source, the air outlet end of the air inlet pipe is located inside the box body, and the air inlet pipe is used to introduce the purge gas into the box body and form a purge gas flow to purge the sample.

[0007] A plurality of exhaust holes are arranged on the bottom plate of the box body for exhausting the purge gas to the outside of the box body.

[0008] The sample is matched with the FIB sample stage. Before being placed on the FIB sample stage, the sample is first placed in the box body for purging to prevent debris on the sample from entering the FIB sample stage, thereby reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage.

[0009] A further improvement is that a gas dispersion panel is provided at the bottom of the top plate of the box body, the outlet end of the air inlet pipe is located on the top of the gas dispersion panel, and the gas dispersion panel is used to adjust the size and direction of the purge airflow to improve the purge effect.

[0010] A further improvement is that the frame of the box body is made of aluminum alloy.

[0011] A further improvement is that a door is provided on at least one side of the box body.

[0012] A further improvement is that a transparent acrylic panel is provided on at least one side surface of the box body.

[0013] A further improvement is that an operation panel is provided on the box body, and control keys are provided on the operation panel.

[0014] The operation panel is also provided with a purge program.

[0015] The control key controls the start of the purge; after the purge is started, the sample is cleaned according to the setting of the purge program.

[0016] A further improvement is that the purge gas includes nitrogen.

[0017] A further improvement is that the box body is movably arranged near the FIB machine, and multiple FIB machines share one box body.

[0018] To solve the above technical problem, the method for reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage provided by the present invention includes: before placing the sample on the FIB sample stage, the sample is first placed in a box body for purging to prevent debris on the sample from entering the FIB sample stage, thereby reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage.

[0019] The bottom plate of the box body is provided with a first sample placement area for placing the sample.

[0020] An air inlet pipe is arranged on the top plate of the box body, the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe is used to be connected to an external purge gas source, the air outlet end of the air inlet pipe is located inside the box body, and the air inlet pipe is used to introduce the purge gas into the box body and form a purge gas flow to purge the sample.

[0021] A plurality of exhaust holes are arranged on the bottom plate of the box body for exhausting the purge gas to the outside of the box body.

[0022] A further improvement is that a gas dispersion panel is provided at the bottom of the top plate of the box body, the outlet end of the air inlet pipe is located on the top of the gas dispersion panel, and the gas dispersion panel is used to adjust the size and direction of the purge airflow to improve the purge effect.

[0023] A further improvement is that the frame of the box body is made of aluminum alloy.

[0024] A further improvement is that a door is provided on at least one side of the box body.

[0025] A further improvement is that a transparent acrylic panel is provided on at least one side surface of the box body.

[0026] A further improvement is that an operation panel is provided on the box body, and control keys are provided on the operation panel.

[0027] The operation panel is also provided with a purge program.

[0028] The control key controls the start of the purge; after the purge is started, the sample is cleaned according to the setting of the purge program.

[0029] A further improvement is that the purge gas includes nitrogen.

[0030] A further improvement is that the box body is movably arranged near the FIB machine, and multiple FIB machines share one box body.

[0031] In order to reduce the failure rate of the FIB sample stage, the present invention is specially configured with a box body that can blow air to the sample. By blowing air through the box body, the sample can be purged and cleaned, especially before the sample is placed on the FIB sample stage. In this way, the debris or dust on the sample can be reduced from falling on the track of the FIB sample stage, thereby reducing the accumulation of debris or dust on the track of the FIB sample stage and thereby reducing the probability of the FIB sample stage getting stuck, thereby reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage.

[0032] The box body of the present invention can be further provided with a gas dispersion panel to achieve adjustable size and direction of the purge gas flow, thereby improving the purge effect.

[0033] The present invention provides a transparent acrylic panel on at least one side of the box body, thereby facilitating real-time observation of the purge process.

[0034] The present invention can set corresponding control keys and corresponding purging programs on the operation panel by setting an operation panel, and the purging can be started by pressing the control key. Therefore, the present invention is easy to operate and has a low error rate, and the purging efficiency is high and much higher than manual purging.

[0035] One box body of the present invention is a movable structure, which can be used only by connecting to an external purge gas source and a power source, and can be shared by multiple FIB machines, so the overall cost of the present invention is low. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0037] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a device for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 It is a bar graph comparing the corresponding failure numbers of the same FIB machine when the device for reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage according to the embodiment of the present invention is used for purging and when it is not purged;

[0039] Figure 3 It is a bar graph comparing the corresponding failure numbers of different FIB machines when the device for reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage according to the embodiment of the present invention is used for purging and when it is not purged. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] like Figure 1 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to an embodiment of the present invention; the device for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a box body.

[0041] The bottom plate 108 of the box body has a first sample placement area for placing the sample 105 .

[0042] An air inlet pipe 102 is provided on the top plate 109 of the box body, the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe 102 is used to connect to an external purge gas source, and the air outlet end of the air inlet pipe 102 is located inside the box body. The air inlet pipe 102 is used to introduce the purge gas into the box body and form a purge gas flow 104 to purge the sample 105.

[0043] The bottom plate 108 of the box body is provided with a plurality of exhaust holes for exhausting the purge gas to the outside of the box body. Figure 1 The arrow line corresponding to the mark 106 represents the exhaust gas flow.

[0044] The sample 105 matches the FIB sample stage. Before being placed on the FIB sample stage, the sample 105 is first placed in the box for purging to prevent debris on the sample 105 from entering the FIB sample stage, thereby reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage.

[0045] In the embodiment of the present invention, a gas dispersion panel is further provided at the bottom of the top plate 109 of the box body, and the outlet end of the air inlet pipe 102 is located at the top of the gas dispersion panel. The gas dispersion panel is used to adjust the size and direction of the purge airflow 104 to improve the purge effect.

[0046] The frame 101 of the box body is made of aluminum alloy.

[0047] A door is arranged on at least one side of the box body.

[0048] A transparent acrylic panel 103 is provided on at least one side surface of the box body.

[0049] An operation panel 110 is disposed on the box body, and a control key 107 is disposed on the operation panel 110 . Figure 1 In the embodiment, the control key 107 is a hardware button. In other embodiments, the control key 107 can also be a touch button arranged on a touch screen or a software button controlled by a mouse or keyboard.

[0050] The operation panel 110 is also provided with a purge program.

[0051] The control key 107 controls the start of the purge; after the purge is started, the sample 105 is cleaned according to the setting of the purge program. That is, the purge can be started by pressing the control key 107, and the operation is simple and convenient.

[0052] The purge gas comprises nitrogen. Usually, the nitrogen is directly supplied by the plant.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present invention, the box body is movably arranged near the FIB machine, and a plurality of the FIB machines share one box body.

[0054] In order to reduce the failure rate of the FIB sample stage, the embodiment of the present invention is specially configured with a box body that can blow air to the sample 105. By blowing air from the box body, the sample 105 can be purged and cleaned, especially before the sample 105 is placed on the FIB sample stage, the sample 105 can be purged and cleaned. This can reduce the debris or dust on the sample 105 that falls on the track of the FIB sample stage, thereby reducing the accumulation of debris or dust on the track of the FIB sample stage and thereby reducing the probability of the FIB sample stage getting stuck, thereby reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage.

[0055] The box body of the embodiment of the present invention can be further provided with a gas dispersion panel to achieve adjustable size and direction of the purge gas flow 104, thereby improving the purge effect.

[0056] In the embodiment of the present invention, a transparent acrylic panel 103 is provided on at least one side surface of the box body, so that the purge process can be observed in real time.

[0057] The embodiment of the present invention sets an operation panel 110, and can set corresponding control keys 107 and corresponding purge programs on the operation panel 110. The purge can be started by pressing the control key 107. Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention is easy to operate and has a low error rate. The purge efficiency is high and is much higher than manual purge.

[0058] A box body of the embodiment of the present invention is a movable structure, which can be used only by connecting to an external purge gas source and a power source, and can be shared by multiple FIB machines, so the overall cost of the embodiment of the present invention is low.

[0059] like Figure 2 As shown, it is a bar chart comparing the corresponding failure numbers of the same FIB machine when the device for reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage according to the embodiment of the present invention is used for purging and when it is not purged; Figure 2 In the figure, comparative data is obtained by statistically analyzing the corresponding failure numbers of the same FIB machine when the device for reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage according to the embodiment of the present invention, i.e., the box body, is used for purging and when it is not purged within 4 months. Among them, column 201 is the data corresponding to the case of no purging, and column 202 is the data corresponding to the case of purging. It can be seen that the failure number of column 201 is 4 times, and the failure number of column 202 is 2 times. Therefore, purging the box body according to the embodiment of the present invention can indeed reduce the failure rate of the FIB sample stage.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, it is a bar chart comparing the corresponding failure numbers of different FIB machines when the device for reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage according to the embodiment of the present invention is used for purging and when it is not purged; Figure 3 In the figure, comparative data is obtained by statistically analyzing the corresponding failure numbers of different FIB machines when the device for reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage according to the embodiment of the present invention, i.e., the box body, is used for purging and when it is not purged within 4 months. Among them, column 204 is the data corresponding to the case without purging, and column 203 is the data corresponding to the case with purging. It can be seen that the failure number of column 204 is 6 times, and the failure number of column 203 is 2 times. Therefore, the use of the box body according to the embodiment of the present invention for purging can indeed reduce the failure rate of the FIB sample stage.

[0061] The method for reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage in an embodiment of the present invention includes: before placing the sample 105 on the FIB sample stage, the sample 105 is first placed in a box for purging to prevent debris on the sample 105 from entering the FIB sample stage, thereby reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage.

[0062] like Figure 1As shown, the bottom plate 108 of the box body has a first sample placement area for placing the sample 105 .

[0063] An air inlet pipe 102 is provided on the top plate 109 of the box body, the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe 102 is used to connect to an external purge gas source, and the air outlet end of the air inlet pipe 102 is located inside the box body. The air inlet pipe 102 is used to introduce the purge gas into the box body and form a purge gas flow 104 to purge the sample 105.

[0064] A plurality of exhaust holes are provided on the bottom plate 108 of the box body for exhausting the purge gas to the outside of the box body.

[0065] A gas dispersion panel is also provided at the bottom of the top plate 109 of the box body, and the gas outlet end of the air inlet pipe 102 is located on the top of the gas dispersion panel. The gas dispersion panel is used to adjust the size and direction of the purge airflow 104 to improve the purge effect.

[0066] The frame 101 of the box body is made of aluminum alloy.

[0067] A door is arranged on at least one side of the box body.

[0068] A transparent acrylic panel 103 is provided on at least one side surface of the box body.

[0069] An operation panel 110 is disposed on the box body, and a control key 107 is disposed on the operation panel 110 .

[0070] The operation panel 110 is also provided with a purge program.

[0071] The control key 107 controls the start of the purge; after the purge is started, the sample 105 is cleaned according to the setting of the purge program.

[0072] The purge gas includes nitrogen.

[0073] The box body is movably arranged near the FIB machine, and a plurality of the FIB machines share one box body.

[0074] The device of the embodiment of the present invention can be used as an auxiliary device of the FIB machine, and can reduce the occurrence rate of stage jamming failure caused by particles being brought into the FIB device during sample preparation. The device of the embodiment of the present invention is easy to operate and can efficiently provide on-site FIB workers with particles on the surface of clean samples, greatly reducing particles that will be brought into the FIB and reducing the stage jamming failure rate of the FIB.

[0075] The embodiment of the present invention requires secondary N2 on-site and power supply; the number of boxes in the embodiment of the present invention can be configured according to the number of online FIB machines, for example, the ratio is 5 FIB machines with one purge machine, i.e., box. On-site staff can operate the purge device, i.e., box, on a fixed operating table. After placing the sample in the purge device, the execution button is activated, and the device will purge the sample according to a pre-set program. The operation is simple for the staff, the error rate is low, and the purge efficiency is much higher than manual purge.

[0076] The present invention has been described in detail above through specific embodiments, but these do not constitute limitations of the present invention. Without departing from the principle of the present invention, those skilled in the art may also make many variations and improvements, which should also be considered as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage, characterized in that: include: Box body; The bottom plate of the box body is provided with a first sample placement area for placing samples; An air inlet pipe is provided on the top plate of the box body, the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe is used to be connected to an external purge gas source, the air outlet end of the air inlet pipe is located inside the box body, and the air inlet pipe is used to introduce the purge gas into the box body and form a purge gas flow to purge the sample; A plurality of exhaust holes are provided on the bottom plate of the box body for exhausting the purge gas to the outside of the box body; The sample is matched with the FIB sample stage. Before being placed on the FIB sample stage, the sample is first placed in the box body for purging to prevent debris on the sample from entering the FIB sample stage, thereby reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage.

2. The device for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 1, characterized in that: A gas dispersion panel is also provided at the bottom of the top plate of the box body, and the gas outlet end of the air inlet pipe is located on the top of the gas dispersion panel. The gas dispersion panel is used to adjust the size and direction of the purge airflow to improve the purge effect.

3. The device for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame of the box body is an aluminum alloy frame.

4. The device for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 3, characterized in that: A door is arranged on at least one side of the box body.

5. The device for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 3, characterized in that: A transparent acrylic panel is arranged on at least one side surface of the box body.

6. The device for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 1, characterized in that: An operation panel is arranged on the box body, and control keys are arranged on the operation panel; The operation panel is also provided with a purge program; The control key controls the start of the purge; after the purge is started, the sample is cleaned according to the setting of the purge program.

7. The device for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The purge gas includes nitrogen.

8. The device for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box body is movably arranged near the FIB machine, and a plurality of the FIB machines share one box body.

9. A method for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage, characterized in that: Before placing the sample on the FIB sample stage, the sample is first placed in a box body for purging to prevent debris on the sample from entering the FIB sample stage, thereby reducing the failure rate of the FIB sample stage; The bottom plate of the box body is provided with a first sample placement area for placing the sample; An air inlet pipe is provided on the top plate of the box body, the air inlet end of the air inlet pipe is used to be connected to an external purge gas source, the air outlet end of the air inlet pipe is located inside the box body, and the air inlet pipe is used to introduce the purge gas into the box body and form a purge gas flow to purge the sample; A plurality of exhaust holes are arranged on the bottom plate of the box body for exhausting the purge gas to the outside of the box body.

10. The method for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 9, characterized in that: A gas dispersion panel is also provided at the bottom of the top plate of the box body, and the gas outlet end of the air inlet pipe is located on the top of the gas dispersion panel. The gas dispersion panel is used to adjust the size and direction of the purge airflow to improve the purge effect.

11. The method for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 9, characterized in that: The frame of the box body is an aluminum alloy frame.

12. The method for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 11, characterized in that: A door is arranged on at least one side of the box body.

13. The method for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 11, characterized in that: A transparent acrylic panel is arranged on at least one side surface of the box body.

14. The method for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 9, characterized in that: An operation panel is arranged on the box body, and control keys are arranged on the operation panel; The operation panel is also provided with a purge program; The control key controls the start of the purge; after the purge is started, the sample is cleaned according to the setting of the purge program.

15. The method for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 9, characterized in that: The purge gas includes nitrogen.

16. The method for reducing the failure rate of a FIB sample stage according to claim 9, characterized in that: The box body is movably arranged near the FIB machine, and a plurality of the FIB machines share one box body.

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