Integrated circuit diagnosis using focused ion beams

Abstract

The application of a focused ion beam to voltage-contrast probing and repair of integrated circuits is demonstrated. Holes have been opened through passivation layers and waveforms have been acquired using voltage contrast. Voltage-coding techniques have been used to trace signals and confirm repairs. A complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) programmable logic array (PLA) with a design error has been successfully repaired using ion beam milling to disconnect metal lines buried under thick passivation.