CAD Navigation refers to software tools which are used for the correlation of electronic semiconductor

Semiconductor

A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...

 design data with a physical semiconductor device. CAD Navigation tools consist of software that is capable of reading and displaying the physical layout and logical schematic

Schematic

A schematic diagram represents the elements of a system using abstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures. A schematic usually omits all details that are not relevant to the information the schematic is intended to convey, and may add unrealistic elements that aid comprehension...

 for the device. The logical design consists of a netlist

Netlist

The word netlist can be used in several different contexts, but perhaps the most popular is in the field of electronic design. In this context, a "netlist" describes the connectivity of an electronic design....

 and/or a schematic. The physical design consists of a set of polygons which precisely represent the location of all electrical conductors, diffusions and interconnections in the physical semiconductor device. CAD navigation tools are often used to provide a cross-correlation between the logical design and the physical design. CAD navigation tools are used extensively with E-beam probers

Electron Beam Prober

The Electron Beam Prober is a specialized adaption of a standard Scanning Electron Microscope that is used for semiconductor failure analysis. While a standard SEM may be operated in a voltage range of 25KeV to 30KeV, the E-beam Prober typically operates at 1KeV...

, focused-ion beam systems

Ion beam

An ion beam is a type of charged particle beam consisting of ions. Ion beams have many uses in electronics manufacturing and other industries. A variety of ion beam sources exist, some derived from the mercury vapor thrusters developed by NASA in the 1960s.-Ion beam etching or sputtering:One type...

 and photon probers

Time resolved photon emission prober

The Time-Resolved Photon Emission Prober is an instrument which is used to measure timing waveforms on semiconductor devices. TRPE measurements are performed on the back side of the semiconductor device. The substrate of the device-under-test must first be thinned mechanically...

 for the purpose of semiconductor failure analysis

Failure analysis

Failure analysis is the process of collecting and analyzing data to determine the cause of a failure. It is an important discipline in many branches of manufacturing industry, such as the electronics industry, where it is a vital tool used in the development of new products and for the improvement...

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