Electrical Probing and Surface Imaging of Deep Sub-Micron Integrated Circuits

A contact probing system for surface imaging and real-time signal measurement of deep sub-micron integrated circuits is discussed. The probe fits on a standard probe-station and utilizes a conductive atomic force microscope tip to rapidly measure the surface topography and acquire real-time highfrequency signals from features as small as 0.18 micron. The micromachined probe structure minimizes parasitic coupling and the probe achieves a bandwidth greater than 3 GHz, with a capacitive loading of less than 120 fF. High-resolution images of submicron structures and waveforms acquired from high-speed devices are presented.