A NEW TEST METHOD FOR CONTACTLESS QUANTITATIVE CURRENT MEASUREMENT VIA SCANNING MAGNETO-RESISTIVE PROBE MICROSCOPY

The aim of this paper is to present a new test method for contactless quantitative current measurements via scanning magneto-resistive probe microscopy. Its basic principle is based on the detection of the magn etic field over a current-carrying conducting line by a magneto-resist ive probe, which is fastened to a (s) under bar canning (f) under bar orce (m) under bar icroscope (SFM). The function and efficiency of thi s method is demonstrated by measuring the current flow through a condu cting line with hundred kilohertz bandwidth. Regarding to the function and failure analysis of integrated circuits the size of the magneto-r esistive probe is reduced, and the obtained experimental results are d iscussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.