Devices processed using x-rays
In one embodiment, an automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool may emit, by an X-ray source, an X-ray beam to an object of interest with a portion of the X-ray beam penetrating through the object of interest. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool may capture, by an X-ray sensor, one or more X-ray images of the object of interest based on the portion of the X-ray beam that penetrates through the object of interest. Each of the X-ray images may be captured with a field of view of at least 12 million pixels.
1. An automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool comprising: an X-ray source; an X-ray image sensor; one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to one or more of the processors and comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool to:
emit, by the X-ray source, an X-ray beam to an object of interest, wherein a portion of the X-ray beam penetrates through the object of interest; and
capture, by the X-ray image sensor, one or more X-ray images of the object of interest based on the portion of the X-ray beam that penetrates through the object of interest, wherein each of the one or more X-ray images is captured with a field of view of at least 12 million pixels.
2. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , further being configured to:
determine, based on the one or more X-ray images of the object of interest, a structure feature of the object of interest, wherein the structure feature of the object of interest has a dimension less than or equal to 10 microns.
3. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more X-ray images is captured with a field of view of at least 15 million pixels.
4. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more X-ray images is captured with a field of view of at least 25 million pixels.
5. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more X-ray images is captured in less than or equal to 10 seconds.
6. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more X-ray images is captured in less than or equal to 3 seconds.
7. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more X-ray images is captured in less than or equal to 33 milliseconds.
8. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , further being configured to:
inspect a plurality of objects of interest at a speed greater than or equal to 2718 square millimeters per minute.
9. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , further being configured to:
inspect a plurality of objects of interest at a speed greater than or equal to 1000 square millimeters per minute.
10. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein the one or more X-ray images have a spatial resolution smaller than or equal to 10 microns.
11. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein the one or more X-ray images have a spatial resolution smaller than or equal to 3 microns.
12. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein the one or more X-ray images have a spatial resolution smaller than or equal to 0.5 microns.
13. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein the structure feature of the object of interest is associated with one or more parameters to be compared one or more reference standards, and wherein the automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool is further configured to:
analyze the one or more X-ray images of the object of interest to detect whether or how much the one or more parameters of the object of interest deviate from the respective reference standards.
14. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein the structure feature of the object of interest is associated with one or more parameters that deviate from respective reference standards, and wherein the automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool is further configured to:
identify one or more factors in a fabricating process of the object of interest, wherein the one or more factors cause one or more parameters to deviate from respective reference standards.
15. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 14 , wherein the one or more factors comprise one or more of:
one or more defect modes,
one or more failure modes, or
one or more process variables deviating from specification values.
16. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 14 , further being configured to:
cause the fabricating process to eliminate the one or more factors that cause the one or more parameters to deviate from the respective reference standards.
17. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 16 , further being configured to:
modify one or more steps of the fabricating process to cause an associated downstream tool to adjust an alignment of one or more components of a plurality of objects of interest fabricated using the fabricating process,
wherein the modification of the one or more steps of the fabrication process cause the associated downstream tool to eliminate the one or more factors in the fabrication process that cause the one or more parameters to deviate from the respective reference standards.
18. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 16 , further being configured to:
identify, using statistical process control, one or more improvements to the fabricating process; and
adjust one or more process parameters of the fabricating process based on the identified improvements.
19. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 16 , further being configured to:
inspect, inline to the fabricating process, one or more dimensions of each of a plurality of objects of interest fabricated using the fabricating process;
detect whether one or more process variations are present in one or more of the plurality of objects of interest; and
modify, in response to the detection of one or more process variations, one or more features of a design of the plurality of objects of interest.
20. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 16 , further being configured to:
determine that one or more steps of the fabricating process are functioning beyond predetermined parameter ranges defined in a specification database; and
adjust the one or more steps of the fabricating process to function within the predetermined parameter ranges defined in the specification database.
21. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a movable mount for holding the object of interest;
a scintillator that absorbs x-rays and emits visible photons; and
an optical system that forms a magnified image of the scintillator.
22. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 21 wherein the movable mount moves the object of interest in a three-dimensional space, wherein the one or more X-ray images are captured with different positions in the three-dimensional space controlled by the movable mount, and wherein the object of interest has a larger size than an area covered by the X-ray beam.
23. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 21 , wherein the object of interest is placed in the movable mount, and wherein the object of interest has a distance to the X-ray sensor less than 5 mm.
24. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray beam is filtered by an X-ray filter with an X-ray spectrum range, wherein the one or more X-ray images are captured based on the filtered X-ray beam, and wherein the one or more X-ray images have a higher contrast for detecting structures made of a particular material associated with the X-ray spectrum range.
25. The automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein the object of interest comprises one or more of: an interposer, a silicon interposer, a silicon dioxide interposer, an integrated circuit, a semiconductor wafer, a silicon wafer, a wafer comprising TSVs, a printed circuit board, a 3D IC package, a 2.5D IC package, or a multi-chip-module.
26. A method comprising, by an automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool:
emitting an X-ray beam to an object of interest, wherein a portion of the X-ray beam penetrates through the object of interest; and
capturing one or more X-ray images of the object of interest based on the portion of the X-ray beam that penetrates through the object of interest, wherein each of the one or more X-ray images are captured with a field of view of at least 12 million pixels.
27. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to cause an automated high-speed X-ray inspection tool to:
emit an X-ray beam to an object of interest, wherein a portion of the X-ray beam penetrates through the object of interest; and
capture one or more X-ray images of the object of interest based on the portion of the X-ray beam that penetrates through the object of interest, wherein each of the one or more X-ray images are captured with a field of view of at least 12 million pixels.