The present disclosure relates to non-destructive methods for collecting data from three-dimensional objects. Method include directing one or more interrogating beams of light towards a surface of a three-dimensional object, where the three-dimensional object includes one or more underlying surfaces, and one or more materials having excitonic properties are disposed on the surface of the three-dimensional object; capturing, using an imaging device, optic response of the one or more materials having excitonic properties to the one or more interrogation beams; and computing, using the imaging device, a distance between the one or more underlying surfaces and the one or more materials having excitonic properties, where the optic response of the one or more materials having excitonic properties is a function of the distance between the one or more materials having excitonic properties and the one or more underlying surfaces.

The disclosed technology generally relates to characterization of semiconductor structures, and more particularly to optical characterization of high-k dielectric materials. A method includes providing a semiconductor structure comprising a semiconductor and a high-k dielectric layer formed over the semiconductor, wherein the dielectric layer has electron traps formed therein. The method additionally includes at least partially transmitting an incident light having an incident energy through the high-k dielectric layer and at least partially absorbing the incident light in the semiconductor. The method additionally includes measuring a nonlinear optical spectrum resulting from the light having the energy different from the incident energy, the nonlinear optical spectrum having a first region and a second region, wherein the first region changes at a different rate in intensity compared to the second region. The method further includes determining from the nonlinear optical spectrum one or both of a first time constant from the first region and a second time constant from the second region, and determining a trap density in the high-k dielectric layer based on the one or both of the first time constant and the second time constant.

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.

An optical detection system and an alignment method for a predetermined target object are provided. The optical detection system includes a chuck stage, an optical detection module, a vision inspection module and a control module. The chuck stage includes a chuck configured for carrying a plurality of predetermined objects to be tested. The optical detection module includes an optical probe device, and the optical probe device is configured to be disposed above the chuck for optically detecting the predetermined object. The vision inspection module includes an image capturing device and an image display device. The image capturing device is configured for capturing a real-time image of the predetermined object in real time, and the image display device is configured for displaying the real-time image of the predetermined object in real time. The control module is configured to execute the alignment method for the predetermined target object.

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.

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.

A device analysis apparatus is a device analysis apparatus for determining a quality of a power semiconductor device, including an application unit that applies a voltage signal to the power semiconductor device, a light detection unit that detects light from the power semiconductor device at a plurality of detection positions and outputs detection signals based on detection results, and a determination unit that determines the quality of the power semiconductor device based on temporal changes of the detection signals.

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.