A method of manufacturing a pressure sensor comprises: above a film portion formed on one surface of a substrate, depositing a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer and an intermediate layer between the first and second magnetic layers on one surface of a substrate; removing the deposited layers leaving a part thereof; and removing a part of the substrate from another surface of the substrate. By removing the deposited layers leaving a part thereof, a strain detecting element is formed in a part of a first region, the strain detecting element comprising the first magnetic layer, the second magnetic layer and the intermediate layer. By removing a part of the substrate, a part of the first region of the substrate is removed. In addition, the deposition of the first magnetic layer is performed with the substrate being bended.

A wafer inspection apparatus includes a support structure including a frame and vacuum chucks mounted thereon, each vacuum chuck having a support surface including a vacuum suction portion, the support structure configured to structurally support a wafer on one or more vacuum chucks, the frame defining an opening larger than an area of the wafer. The wafer inspection apparatus includes an electromagnetic wave emitter configured to irradiate an inspection electromagnetic wave to the wafer, a sensor configured to receive the inspection electromagnetic wave from the wafer based on the inspection electromagnetic wave passing through the wafer, and a driver configured to move at least one of the electromagnetic wave emitter or the frame to change an irradiation location of the wafer. Each vacuum chuck is configured to be selectively movable between a first location and a second location in relation to the frame.

An arcing detection system detects arcing within a semiconductor processing cleanroom environment. The arcing detection system includes an array of microphones positioned within the cleanroom environment. The microphones receive soundwaves within the cleanroom environment and generate audio signals based on the sound waves. The arcing system includes a control system that receives the audio signals from the microphones. The control system analyzes the audio signals and detects arcing within the cleanroom environment based on the audio signals. The control system can adjust a semiconductor process in real time responsive to detecting arcing.

A method for determining whether to modify a manufacturing process recipe is provided. A substrate to be processed at a manufacturing system according to the first process recipe is identified. An instruction to transfer the substrate to a substrate measurement subsystem to obtain a first set of measurements for the substrate is generated. The first set of measurements for the substrate is received from the substrate measurement subsystem. An instruction to transfer the substrate from the substrate measurement subsystem to a processing chamber is generated. A second set of measurements for the substrate is received from one or more sensors of the processing chamber. A first mapping between the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements for the substrate is generated. The first set of measurements mapped to the second set of measurements for the substrate is stored. A determination is made based on the first set of measurements mapped to the second set of measurements for the substrate of whether to modify the first process recipe or a second process recipe for the substrate.

In one embodiment, an automated high-speed X-ray inspection system may generate a first X-ray image of an inspected sample at a first direction substantially orthogonal to a plane of the inspected sample. The first X-ray image may be a high-resolution grayscale image. The system may identify one or more elements of interest of the inspected sample based on the first X-ray image. The first X-ray image may include interfering elements that interfere with the one or more elements of interest in the first X-ray image. The system may determine one or more first features associated with respective elements of interest based on variations of grayscale values in the first X-ray images. The system may determine whether one or more defects are associated with the respective elements of interest based on the one or more first features associated with the element of interest.

A method for annealing a wafer includes loading the wafer to a fork of a delivering robot in an annealing apparatus, wherein the wafer is in contact with a vibration-detecting sensor on the fork; rotating the fork between a heating plate and a cooling plate of the annealing apparatus; outputting, by the vibration-detecting sensor, a first signal in response to a motion of the fork of the delivering robot when the wafer is loaded on the fork; and providing, by a circuitry of the annealing apparatus, a response in response to the first signal.

A substrate inspection apparatus includes: a storage configured to store inspection image data obtained from a captured image of a periphery of a substrate on which a film is formed, and an inspection recipe; an edge detector configured to detect a target edge as an edge of an inspection target film on the basis of the inspection image data stored in the storage by using the inspection recipe stored in the storage; a periphery calculator configured to calculate a position of a theoretical periphery of the substrate; and a width calculator configured to calculate a width between the theoretical periphery of the substrate and the target edge on the basis of position data of the theoretical periphery of the substrate obtained by the periphery calculator and position data of the target edge obtained by the edge detector.

Provided are an inspection device that detects with high precision and classifies surface unevenness, step batching, penetrating blade-shaped dislocations, penetrating spiral dislocations, basal plane dislocations, and stacking defects formed in an SiC substrate and an epitaxial layer; and a system. In the inspection device using charged particle beams, a device is used that has an electrode provided between a sample and an objective lens, the device applies a positive or negative voltage to the electrode and obtains images. A secondary electron emission rate is measured and energy EL and EH for the charged particles are found. A first image is obtained using the EH and positive potential conditions. A second image is obtained using the EL and negative potential conditions. A third image is obtained at the same position as the second image, and by using the EL and positive potential conditions.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel technique capable of suppressing the occurrence of cracks in an AlN layer.

The present invention is a method for manufacturing an AlN substrate, the method including: an embrittlement processing step S10 of reducing strength of a SiC underlying substrate 10; and a crystal growth step S20 of forming an AlN layer 20 on the SiC underlying substrate 10. In addition, the present invention is a method for suppressing the occurrence of cracks in the AlN layer 20, the method including the embrittlement processing step S10 of reducing the strength of the SiC underlying substrate 10 before forming the AlN layer 20 on the SiC underlying substrate 10.

Fan-out panel level packages (FOPLPs) comprising warpage control structures and techniques of formation are described. An FOPLP may comprise one or more redistribution layers; a semiconductor die on the one or more redistribution layers; one or more warpage control structures adjacently located next to the semiconductor die; and a mold compound encapsulating the semiconductor die and the one or more warpage control structures on the one or more redistribution layers. The FOPLP can be coupled a board (e.g., a printed circuit board, etc.). The warpage control structures can assist with minimizing or eliminating unwanted warpage, which can occur during or after formation of an FOPLP or a packaged system. In this way, the warpage control structures can assist with reducing costs associated with semiconductor packaging and/or manufacturing of an FOPLP or a packaged system.