A method includes capturing a photon emission microscope (PEM) image of an integrated circuit (IC), and identifying emission sites in the PEM image, where the emission sites are associated with a leakage current. A set of common nets is found that connects multiple emission sites using layout data and/or netlist data in computer-aided design (CAD) data. From the layout data and/or netlist data, a critical net is identified from the set of common nets connecting a threshold number of emission sites. The critical net is cross-mapped, by a processor, tip netlist data in the CAD data. A particular device is identified from the netlist data that has an output pin connected to the critical net. The particular device identified from the netlist data is cross-mapped, by a processor, to the layout data, wherein the critical net connects at least two devices at the identified emission sites including the particular device.

An improved system is disclosed for wafer outer portion inspection in a charged particle beam system, such as a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The system uses multiple conductive rings around the wafer to correct an e-field distortion occurring at the wafer outer portion. The rings are applied with different complimentary voltages in order achieve a precise compensation of the e-field distortion.

An atom probe directs two or more pulsed laser beams onto a specimen, with each laser beam being on a different side of the specimen, and with each laser beam supplying pulses at a time different from the other laser beams. The laser beams are preferably generated by splitting a single beam provided by a laser source. The laser beams are preferably successively aligned incident with the specimen by one or more beam steering mirrors, which may also scan each laser beam over the specimen to achieve a desired degree of specimen ionization.

An electron gun for an electron microscope or similar device includes a field emitter cathode having a field emitter protrusion extending from the output surface of a monocrystalline silicon substrate, and electrodes configured to enhance the emission of electrons from a tip portion of the field emitter protrusion to generate a primary electron beam. A contiguous TiN layer is disposed directly on at least the tip portion of the field emitter protrusion using a process that minimizes oxidation and defects in the TiN layer.

An atom probe directs two or more pulsed laser beams onto a specimen, with each laser beam being on a different side of the specimen, and with each laser beam supplying pulses at a time different from the other laser beams. The laser beams are preferably generated by splitting a single beam provided by a laser source. The laser beams are preferably successively aligned incident with the specimen by one or more beam steering mirrors, which may also scan each laser beam over the specimen to achieve a desired degree of specimen ionization.

A method includes capturing a photon emission microscope (PEM) image of an integrated circuit (IC), and identifying emission sites in the PEM image, where the emission sites are associated with a leakage current. A set of common nets is found that connects multiple emission sites using layout data and/or netlist data in computer-aided design (CAD) data. From the layout data and/or netlist data, a critical net is identified from the set of common nets connecting a threshold number of emission sites. The critical net is cross-mapped, by a processor, tip netlist data in the CAD data. A particular device is identified from the netlist data that has an output pin connected to the critical net. The particular device identified from the netlist data is cross-mapped, by a processor, to the layout data, wherein the critical net connects at least two devices at the identified emission sites including the particular device.

A method of detecting atomic scale defects in semiconductors, comprising the steps of scanning the surface of the semiconductor with a field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) to form an SEM image thereof; scanning the SEM image with a light detector and monochromator to obtain a cathodoluminescence (CL) spatial intensity map of the SEM image; determining the CL spectra, i.e. the CL intensity against photon energy for each integral CL intensity; and comparing the CL intensity to a threshold, whereby those semiconductors whose CL intensity is above the threshold are deemed to be defective

Provided is a spin-polarized scanning electron microscope capable of improving an SNR of a detected signal. The spin-polarized scanning electron microscope includes: a spin-polarized electron source configured to irradiate a sample with a spin-polarized electron beam that is an electron beam whose spin is deflected in a specific direction; a scanning unit configured to scan the sample by deflecting the spin-polarized electron beam; a spin detector configured to detect a spin direction of an emitted electron that is an electron emitted from the sample scanned with the spin-polarized electron beam; and a control unit configured to control the spin direction to be detected by the spin detector based on the spin direction of the spin-polarized electron beam.

A cross-section processing and observation method performed by a cross-section processing and observation apparatus comprises a cross-section processing step of forming a cross-section by irradiating a sample with an ion beam; a cross-section observation step of obtaining an observation image of the cross-section by irradiating the cross-section with an electron beam; and repeating the cross-section processing step and the cross-section observation step so as to obtain observation images of a plurality of cross-sections. In a case where Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDS) measurement of the cross-section is performed and an X-ray of a specified material or of a non-specified material that is different from a pre-specified material is detected, an irradiation condition of the ion beam is changed so as to obtain observation images of a plurality of cross-sections of the specified material, and the cross-section processing and observation of the specified material is performed.

An electron gun for an electron microscope or similar device includes a field emitter cathode having a field emitter protrusion extending from the output surface of a monocrystalline silicon substrate, and electrodes configured to enhance the emission of electrons from a tip portion of the field emitter protrusion to generate a primary electron beam. A contiguous TiN layer is disposed directly on at least the tip portion of the field emitter protrusion using a process that minimizes oxidation and defects in the TiN layer.