A method and apparatus for use in surface delayering for fault isolation and defect localization of a sample work piece is provided. More particularly, a method and apparatus for mechanically peeling of one or more layers from the sample in a rapid, controlled, and accurate manner is provided. A programmable actuator includes a delayering probe tip with a cutting edge that is shaped to quickly and accurately peel away a layer of material from a sample. The cutting face of the delayering probe tip is configured so that each peeling step peels away an area of material having a linear dimension substantially equal to the linear dimension of the delayering probe tip cutting face. The surface delayering may take place inside a vacuum chamber so that the target area of the sample can be observed in-situ with FIB/SEM imaging.

A silicon carbide substrate capable of reducing on-resistance and improving yield of semiconductor devices is made of single-crystal silicon carbide, and sulfur atoms are present in one main surface at a ratio of not less than 60×10.sup.10 atoms/cm.sup.2 and not more than 2000×10.sup.10 atoms/cm.sup.2, and oxygen atoms are present in the one main surface at a ratio of not less than 3 at % and not more than 30 at %.

A substrate processing tool is prevented from falling out of a tool holder. This substrate processing tool is a tool for attachment to a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing tool includes a tool main body, a blade edge portion, and an engaging portion. A holding portion that is to be held by the chuck portion of the substrate processing apparatus is formed in at least a portion of the tool main body. The blade edge portion is formed on one end side of the tool main body. The engaging portion is formed on the other end side of the tool main body, and protrudes farther than the surface of the tool main body.

A sample preparation apparatus and method of preparing a rock sample using such an apparatus, as useful in connection with the digital numerical simulation of properties of the rock. The disclosed apparatus includes a fixably mounted diamond wire cutter. Three linear translation stages are coupled to a specimen holder. One of the translation stages moves the specimen in a direction parallel to the plane of the cutting wire. The other two translation stages move the specimen in different directions from one another, and when actuated together, advance the specimen into the wire for short distances in a direction out of the plane of the cutting wire. Short piecewise linear cuts are made in the specimen, to provide a sample of the desired shape with a small cross-section.

Semiconductor wafers are produced from a workpiece by means of a wire saw, by feeding the workpiece through an arrangement of wires tensioned between wire guide rollers and divided into wire groups, the wires moving in a running direction producing kerfs as wires engage the workpiece. For each of the wire groups, a placement error of the kerfs of the wire groups determined, and for each of the wire groups compensating movements of the wires of the wire group are induced as a function of the placement error, in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the wires during feeding of the workpiece through the arrangement of wires, by activating at least one drive element.

Semiconductor wafers are produced from a workpiece by means of a wire saw, by feeding the workpiece through an arrangement of wires tensioned between wire guide rollers and divided into wire groups, the wires moving in a running direction producing kerfs as wires engage the workpiece. For each of the wire groups, a placement error of the kerfs of the wire groups determined, and for each of the wire groups compensating movements of the wires of the wire group are induced as a function of the placement error, in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the wires during feeding of the workpiece through the arrangement of wires, by activating at least one drive element.

Semiconductor wafers with improved geometry are produced from a workpiece by processing the workpiece by means of a wire saw, by feeding the workpiece through an arrangement of wires which are tensioned between wire guide rollers and move in a running direction; producing kerfs when the wires engage into the workpiece; determining a placement error of the kerfs; and inducing a compensating movement of the workpiece as a function of the determined placement error along a longitudinal axis of the workpiece during the feeding of the workpiece through the arrangement of wires.

Semiconductor wafers with improved geometry are produced from a workpiece by processing the workpiece by means of a wire saw, by feeding the workpiece through an arrangement of wires which are tensioned between wire guide rollers and move in a running direction; producing kerfs when the wires engage into the workpiece; determining a placement error of the kerfs; and inducing a compensating movement of the workpiece as a function of the determined placement error along a longitudinal axis of the workpiece during the feeding of the workpiece through the arrangement of wires.

Wafer shape parameters from prior runs of simultaneously slicing a plurality of wafers from a workpiece in a wire saw having a sawing wire tensioned between wire guide rolls are used to alter the temperature profile of fixed and a moveable bearings at the ends of at least one wire guide roll, resulting in wafers with low waviness.

Provided are abrasive grains, an evaluation method and a wafer manufacturing method. A predetermined amount of abrasive grains is prepared as an abrasive grain sample group, the grain diameter of individual abrasive grains in the abrasive grain sample group is measured, the number of abrasive grains in the abrasive grain sample group as a whole is counted, abrasive grains having a grain diameter equal to or smaller than a predetermined reference grain e diameter criterion which is smaller than the average grain diameter of the abrasive grain sample are defined as small grains and the number of the small grains is counted, a small grain ratio is calculated as the number ratio of the small grains occupied in the abrasive grain sample group as a whole, and a determination is made as to whether or not the small grain ratio is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value.