A laser terahertz-emission microscope (LTEM) system is proposed and developed for inspecting electrical faults in integrated circuits (IC). We test a commercial operational amplifier while the system is operating. Two-dimensional terahertz-emission images of the IC chip are clearly observed while the chip is scanned with a femtosecond laser. When one of the interconnection lines is cut, the damaged chip has a LTEM image different from that of normal chips. The results indicate that the LTEM system is a potential tool for IC inspection.

We present the redesign and improved performance of the laser terahertz emission microscope (LTEM), which is a potential tool for locating electrical failures in integrated circuits. The LTEM produces an image of the THz waves emitted when the circuit is irradiated by a femtosecond laser; the amplitude of the THz emission is proportional to the local electric field. By redesigning the optical setup and improving the spatial resolution of the system to below 3 µm, we could extend its application to examining of large-scale integration circuits. As example we show the THz emission pattern of the electric field in an 8-bit microprocessor chip under bias voltage.

An eddy current test (ECT) is a common nondestructive test to detect flaws in metal structures. Many ECTs use both a detection coil and an induction coil. The application of this method to ferromagnetic materials can be challenging because the applied magnetic field is composed of not only the eddy current but also the magnetization signal. Therefore, we developed two types of miniaturized ECT probes, namely, single- and dual-channel tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) probes, by using a TMR sensor instead of a detection coil. To evaluate the performance of crack detection in steel with regard to the length, width, and depth of cracks, the sensor probe was line-scanned above the crack position. The output signal was detected using a lock-in amplifier and analyzed using the real and imaginary components of a magnetic vector. The detected signal was then divided into the magnetization and eddy current components. The dual TMR sensor probe installed inside the induction coil could yield a stable crack signal without the influence of magnetization fluctuation. The line-scanned differential signal intensity and phase show a signal change with a high signal-to-noise ratio at the crack position. These signals depend on the width and length of the crack. A 2-D scanning could provide a magnetic map corresponding to the crack shape.

A new type of laser-terahertz emission system for noncontact investigations of chemical solutions has been developed. The system monitors terahertz emission from a sensing plate, which consists of silicon oxide and silicon thin film layers on a sapphire substrate. Sensing of chemical solutions with pH values between 1.68 and 10.01 was demonstrated. The amplitude of the terahertz emission from the sensing plate increased with increasing pH value. This change in the amplitude was caused by a change in the depletion layers of the silicon thin film when protons were adsorbed on the surface of the sensing plate. This study demonstrates that full noncontact monitoring of chemical solutions is possible using the laser-terahertz emission system.

In order to ensure the safety of infrastructure, it is important to be able to detect both surface and inner cracks in the thick steel plates used. However, it is difficult to use conventional magnetic measurement techniques for inspecting inner cracks in steel because of its high permeability as well as owing to the variations in it. To solve this problem, we developed a method called unsaturated ac magnetic flux leakage (MFL) testing based on a magnetic resistance gradiometer for analyzing the inner cracks in steel. The proposed method uses a sensor probe consisting of a semicircular yoke with induction coils at each end, and a gradiometer with two anisotropic magnetic resistance sensors for detecting the components perpendicular to the steel surface. The conventional MFL testing method requires a strong power source for observing the MFL in the magnetic saturation region. In contrast, in this paper, a gradiometer-based method for detecting the differential intensity and phase is used to detect low levels of magnetic leakage using a weak power source when the test steel sample is unsaturated. During the measurements, a deep inner crack could be detected by decreasing the frequency. The line-scanned differential signal exhibited a peak just above the crack position and was observed to be depth dependent. Based on these results, the method could be used to determine the position of the crack as well as its depth.