Provided are a device and a method for monitoring substrates to determine a processed state of the substrates and inspecting presence of abnormality in the processed substrates.

A device for inspecting substrates includes a substrate mounting part moving relative to the substrate and for mounting a substrate, a measurement part for monitoring the substrate, a control part configured to control a movement path of the measurement part so that at least some regions are monitored from positions different from each other with respect to a plurality of substrates, and an analysis part configured to determine presence of abnormality from monitoring information about the plurality of substrates.

A steady-state microwave conductivity method whereby a light beam is modulated to form an amplitude modulated light having a modulation frequency ω.sub.1. The method further includes producing a microwave waveform, exposing a sample to the amplitude modulated light and a first portion of the microwave waveform to produce an amplitude modulation signal on the first portion of the microwave waveform, and mixing a second portion of the microwave waveform and the amplitude modulation signal to produce a first signal and a second signal.

Various approaches to can be used to interrogate a surface such as a surface of a layered semiconductor structure on a semiconductor wafer. Certain approaches employ Second Harmonic Generation and in some cases may utilize pump and probe radiation. Other approaches involve determining current flow from a sample illuminated with radiation.

Methods of characterizing electrical properties of a semiconductor layer structure on a wafer with topside semiconductor layers on an insulating or semi-insulating substrate, the semiconductor layer structure including a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) heterostructure with a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at a heterointerface between the semiconductor layers of the heterostructure. The methods include: (a) physically contacting the topside of the wafer within a narrow border zone at an edge of the wafer with a flexible metal cantilever electrode of a contacting device, wherein the flexible metal cantilever electrode contacts one or more of the semiconductor layers exposed at the narrow border zone so that the flexible metal cantilever electrode is in electrical contact with the 2DEG; and (b) applying corona charge bias and measuring a surface voltage of the semiconductor layers using a non-contact probe while maintaining the electrical contact with the 2DEG. The physical contacting to the topside of the wafer is noncontaminating and noninvasive to the semiconductor layers.

Systems, devices, and methods for performing a non-contact electrical measurement (NCEM) on a NCEM-enabled cell included in a NCEM-enabled cell vehicle may be configured to perform NCEMs while the NCEM-enabled cell vehicle is moving. The movement may be due to vibrations in the system and/or movement of a movable stage on which the NCEM-enabled cell vehicle is positioned. Position information for an electron beam column producing the electron beam performing the NCEMs and/or for the moving stage may be used to align the electron beam with targets on the NCEM-enabled cell vehicle while it is moving.

Various approaches to can be used to interrogate a surface such as a surface of a layered semiconductor structure on a semiconductor wafer. Certain approaches employ Second Harmonic Generation and in some cases may utilize pump and probe radiation. Other approaches involve determining current flow from a sample illuminated with radiation.

Systems and methods are provided for testing a threshold energy required to cause a latchup on an electronic component. An exemplary method includes applying a series of laser pulses to a testing object with a pulsed laser unit. The testing object is connected to a testing circuit which can measure the energy of each of the series of laser pulses, and detect whether a pulse of the series of laser pulses resulted in a latchup on the testing object. Upon detecting the pulse, the method provides for logging the energy of the pulse using a recording unit and logging the latchup status of the test device. If a latchup is detected, the testing circuit automatically mitigates the latchup event.

An inspection method includes a step S20 of electrically connecting electrical signal terminals of a semiconductor device to electric connectors, and optically connecting optical signal terminals of the semiconductor device to optical connectors, a step S30 of measuring a test light output signal output from a monitoring element provided in an inspection object in response to a test input signal having been input to the monitoring element while adjusting conditions of a position and an inclination of the inspection object, and extracting conditions in which an optical intensity of the test light output signal is a predetermined determination value or greater as inspection conditions, and a step S40 of inspecting the semiconductor device under the inspection conditions.

A device having at least one power semiconductor die coated with a metallization and at least one light guide having two opposite ends. The first end is able to be connected at least to a light source and to a light receiver. The second end is permanently fixed facing to a surface of the metallization such that to form a light path towards said surface and a light path from said surface.

Various approaches can be used to interrogate a surface such as a surface of a layered semiconductor structure on a semiconductor wafer. Certain approaches employ Second Harmonic Generation and in some cases may utilize pump and probe radiation. Other approaches involve determining current flow from a sample illuminated with radiation. Decay constants can be measured to provide information regarding the sample. Additionally, electric and/or magnetic field biases can be applied to the sample to provide additional information.