An ultrasound image apparatus irradiates a bonded wafer in which two or more wafers are bonded with an ultrasonic wave to generate an image of the bonded surface between the wafers. An ultrasonic probe irradiates the bonded wafer with the ultrasonic wave on a lower side of the bonded wafer. A liquid ejection unit moves together with the ultrasonic probe while continuously ejecting a liquid toward a bottom surface such that a liquid film in contact with the bottom surface is formed between the liquid ejection unit and the bottom surface of the bonded wafer. Also, a gas ejection device ejects gas for pushing down the liquid toward an outer peripheral end portion of the bonded wafer so that the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection unit does not infiltrate into the bonded surface from the outer peripheral end portion of the bonded wafer.

Disclosed herein is a method for depth-profiling of samples including a target region including a lateral structural feature. The method includes obtaining measured signals of the sample and analyzing thereof to obtain a depth-dependence of at least one parameter characterizing the lateral structural feature. The measured signals are obtained by repeatedly: projecting a pump pulse on the sample, thereby producing an acoustic pulse propagating within the target region; Brillouin-scattering a probe pulse off the acoustic pulse within the target region; and detecting a scattered component of the probe pulse to obtain a measured signal. In each repetition the respective probe pulse is scattered off the acoustic pulse at a respective depth within the target region, thereby probing the target region at a plurality of depths. A wavelength of the pump pulse is at least about two times greater than a lateral extent of the lateral structural feature.

A monitoring device for monitoring a fabrication process in a fabrication system. The monitored fabrication system includes a process chamber and a plurality of flow components. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor monitors one flow component of the plurality of flow components of the fabrication system and is configured for exposure to a process chemistry in the one flow component during the fabrication process. A controller measures resonance frequency shifts of the QCM sensor due to interactions between the QCM sensor and the process chemistry in the one flow component during the fabrication process. The controller determines a parameter of the fabrication process in the process chamber as a function of the measured resonance frequency shifts of the QCM sensor within the one flow component.

The disclosure relates to determining information about a target structure formed on a substrate using a lithographic process. In one arrangement, a cantilever probe is provided having a cantilever arm and a probe element. The probe element extends from the cantilever arm towards the target structure. Ultrasonic waves are generated in the cantilever probe. The ultrasonic waves propagate through the probe element into the target structure and reflect back from the target structure into the probe element or into a further probe element extending from the cantilever arm. The reflected ultrasonic waves are detected and used to determine information about the target structure.

A temperature insensitive oscillator system. The system includes a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, a CMOS device with one or more CMOS circuits attached to the first surface of the substrate, one or more piezoelectric transducers attached to an outer surface of the CMOS device, a voltage-controlled oscillator generating a RF frequency, which is transmitted as a plurality of short pulses to the one or more piezoelectric transducers, and one or more delays and oscillators using resistor and active components arranged alongside the piezoelectric transducers or on the CMOS device such that the voltage-controlled oscillator has minimal dependence on temperature, and has minimal deviation from a programmed frequency.

This document describes techniques and systems for in operando, non-invasive SOC monitoring of redox flow batteries. The described techniques and systems allow for accurate, inexpensive, portable, and real-time methods to measure the SOC of redox flow batteries. System operators can monitor the SOC by measuring an acoustic attenuation coefficient of the electrolyte in the redox flow battery. The acoustic attenuation coefficient is measured using an ultrasonic transducer attached to a probing cell, which is connected to an electrolyte flow of a redox flow battery. The acoustic attenuation coefficient provides an accurate, real-time SOC measurement that is generally insensitive to varying operational temperatures of the electrolyte solution.

A testing system includes a testing apparatus and a crack noise monitoring device. The testing apparatus includes a testing stage and an element pickup module for pressing a semiconductor element on the testing stage. The crack noise monitoring device includes a database unit, a sound conduction set, a voiceprint generation unit and a processing unit. The database unit has a first voiceprint pattern. The sound conduction set is connected to the voiceprint generation unit and the testing apparatus for transmitting a sound wave from the semiconductor element to the voiceprint generation unit. The voiceprint generation unit receives and converts the sound wave into a second voiceprint pattern. The processing unit is electrically connected to the voiceprint generating unit and the database unit for determining whether the first voiceprint pattern is identical to the second voiceprint pattern.

According to one embodiment, there is provided an inspection apparatus including a first stage, a second stage, an ultrasonic oscillator, and an ultrasonic collector. The first stage includes a first main face. The second stage includes a second main face opposed to the first main face. The ultrasonic oscillator is disposed in a first region. The first region includes the first main face. The first region further includes a region inside the first stage. The ultrasonic collector is disposed in a second region. The second region includes the second main face. The second region further includes a region inside the second stage.

This document is directed at a method of manufacturing a semiconductor element, the method comprising manipulating a surface of a substrate using an atomic force microscope, the atomic force microscope including a probe, the probe including a cantilever and a probe tip, the substrate including at least one or more device features embedded underneath the surface. The method comprises: imaging the embedded device features, and identifying that a position of the probe tip of the atomic force microscope is aligned with the feature; and displacing the probe tip transverse to the surface for exerting a stress for performing the step of surface manipulation, as for example contact holes. Imaging is performed by applying and obtaining an acoustic signal to and from the substrate via the probe tip, including a first and a second signal component at different frequencies. The imaging and surface manipulation are performed using said same probe and probe tip.

Provided is an apparatus for diagnosing a crack in a battery pack, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the same. The apparatus includes a sensing unit configured to generate a vibration signal indicating time-dependent changes in vibration of the battery pack and a processor. The processor generates spectral density data using the vibration signal. The processor detects a plurality of peaks from the spectral density data, and diagnoses whether the battery pack is cracked or not based on the plurality of peaks.