Systems and methods are described for collecting and combining multiple scan samples from a surface of a semiconducting wafer. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a scan nozzle configured to introduce a first scan solution to a surface of a semiconducting wafer to remove impurities from the surface to provide a first scan sample and retrieve the first scan sample, the scan nozzle further configured to introduce a second scan solution to the surface of the semiconducting wafer to remove residual impurities from the surface to provide a second scan sample and retrieve the second scan sample; and a collection vessel in fluid communication with the scan nozzle, the collection vessel configured to receive each of the first scan sample and the second scan sample from the nozzle and to mix the first scan sample with the second scan sample to provide a combined scan sample.

Systems and methods are described for systems and methods for integrated decomposition and scanning of a semiconducting wafer for organic and inorganic impurities. In an aspect, a method includes, but is not limited to, positioning a nozzle above a surface of a semiconducting wafer, the semiconducting wafer supported adjacent to or within an interior of a chamber body; introducing a first scan fluid including one or more organic fluids to an inlet port of the nozzle; directing a portion of the first scan fluid onto the surface of the semiconducting wafer to permit interaction between the scan fluid and one or more organic contaminants present on the surface of the semiconducting wafer; and removing the first scan fluid containing at least a portion of the one or more organic contaminants from the surface of the semiconducting wafer via the nozzle.

A system and method for inspecting a surface with cloud based processing, comprising: generating surface data by inspecting a surface; transferring said surface data from a client to a cloud, wherein said cloud comprises multiple interconnected computing nodes that are remotely located from said client; computing surface properties using said surface data on said cloud; generating surface analytics from said surface properties and a prior information set, with said prior information set comprising surface properties previously stored in said cloud; and transferring said surface properties and said surface analytics from said cloud to said client, whereby said surface properties and said surface analytics are generated with processing power, memory, and storage that are scalable, reliable, and upgradable on demand. A method for improving production yield of an article with cloud based processing, comprising: storing said process information in said cloud; transferring functional results to said cloud, with said functional results comprising identifying information of said articles that have failed a functional test and identifying information of said articles that have passed said functional test; generating a probable cause list from said process information in said cloud, wherein said probable cause list comprises a list of differences between said process information of one or more failed articles and said process information of one or more passed articles; and generating a root cause list from said probable cause list in said cloud, wherein said root cause list comprises process information responsible for failure in failed articles, whereby root causes of failures are analytically determined with processing power, memory, and storage that are scalable, reliable, and upgradable on demand.

A method is disclosed whereby luminescence images are captured from as-cut or partially processed bandgap materials such as multicrystalline silicon wafers. These images are then processed to provide information about defects such as dislocations within the bandgap material. The resultant information is then utilized to predict various key parameters of a solar cell manufactured from the bandgap material, such as open circuit voltage and short circuit current. The information may also be utilized to apply a classification to the bandgap material. The methods can also be used to adjust or assess the effect of additional processing steps, such as annealing, intended to reduce the density of defects in the bandgap materials.

A reception unit (32) receives shape values pertaining to the shapes of respective configurations of a semiconductor package, and physical property values of materials to use. Each time the shape values and the physical property values are received, a simulation unit 34simulates warpage of a substrate on the basis of the received shape values and physical property values. A calculation unit (36) calculates, with regard to each of plural materials registered in a material database (40) in advance, the difference between physical property values of the plural materials and the received physical property value. A display control unit (38) displays simulation results and the results of calculating the difference in physical property values at a display device.

An ion implantation system includes a wafer inspection system for inspecting wafers prior to ion implantation. The inspection facilitates diagnostics by helping distinguish the performance of an ion implantation process from the performance of upstream processes that affect the ion implantation process. The inspection may take place while the wafer is on an aligner, while it is in a load lock chamber, or while it is otherwise being processed by a wafer transport system in an end station. The inspection may be carried out without adding delay to wafer processing. The inspection may include modulated optical resonance (MOR) spectroscopy, and the inspection may be carried out through an optical fiber. The optical circuit may include a wavelength coupler so that a pump laser and probe laser of the MOR system can focus through one lens on a narrowly determined inspection point.

A specimen polishing apparatus configured to polish a specimen in contact with an upper surface of a platen includes a hanger in adjacent paced-apart relationship with an upper portion of the platen; a holder coupled to the hanger and configured to support the specimen so that an observation surface of the specimen faces the upper surface of the platen; and a driving portion coupled to the hanger and configured to move the hanger along a z-axis direction that is perpendicular to the upper surface of the platen. An orientation of the holder relative to the platen upper surface is adjusted through rotation around a y-axis direction that is parallel to a longitudinal direction of the observation surface of the specimen and rotation around an x-axis direction that is perpendicular to the z-axis and the y-axis.

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a measurement device. For example, the measurement device can include a measurement vessel providing an enclosed space for a wafer to be placed therein, and a plurality of pins provided in the measurement vessel for the wafer to rest thereon. The pins can be configured to be raised to a first position and lowered to a second position. The measurement device can also include a heater configured to control the enclosed space to reach a first temperature elevated from a second temperature, and a bow measurement device configured to measure the wafer to identify a bow of the wafer when the wafer rests on the pins and the pins are raised to the first position.

The present application provides a method for verification of conductivity type of a silicon wafer. The method comprises measuring the resistivity of the silicon wafer to obtain a first resistivity, placing the silicon wafer under atmosphere of air for a predicted time period, measuring the resistivity of the silicon wafer to obtain a second resistivity, and determining conductivity type of the silicon wafer by comparing the first resistivity and the second resistivity. The method can be applied to a silicon wafer having a high resistivity such as higher than 500 ohm.sup.cm to rapidly and accurately determine conductivity type of the silicon wafer. Advantages of the method of the present application include accurate test results, easy operation, simple device requirement, and reduced cost.

The invention provides a method of detecting crystallographic defects, comprising: sampling wafer of an ingot in complying with a predetermined wafer sampling frequency; identifying crystallographic defects of the wafer to show the crystallographic defects of the wafer; characterizing observation of the crystallographic defects of the wafer and extracting a value characterizing the crystallographic defects; through a result of characterizing the crystallographic defects, obtaining a radial distribution of density of the wafer and categorizing the crystallographic defects; and obtaining an isogram of the crystallographic defects of the wafer to show a crystallographic defect distribution of the whole ingot according to the value characterizing the crystallographic defects and categories of the crystallographic defects. It is no need to break the ingot to obtain the crystallographic defect distribution of the whole ingot, through which the technology for growing the ingot may be effectively adjusted to obtain the ingot with required characteristics of defect.