Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Yu-Sin Yang

Kye-Weon Kim

Chung-sam Jun

Sang-Mun Chon

Chung-Sam Jun

Hyo-Hoo Kim

Sang-hoon Lee

Sang-Min Kim

Sang-kil Lee

Sun-Yong Choi

Yun-Jung Jee

Moon-Kyung Kim

Tae-Min Eom

Joung-Soo Kim

Sang-Bong Choi

In a method and an apparatus for inspecting a wafer surface, a wafer is loaded into a chamber. An incident light including a first light for sensing a vertical position of the wafer and a second light for inspecting the wafer surface is irradiated onto the wafer. The first light is reflected on an inspection region or a next inspection region of the wafer and is detected to control a wafer position. The second light is scattered on the inspection region and is detected to inspect the wafer surface of the inspection region. Position information of a wafer is examined and a position of the wafer is adjusted before inspecting a surface of inspection region of a wafer so as to enable accurate inspection of the wafer surface.

Method and apparatus for inspecting a wafer surface

A method and apparatus for numerically analyzing a growth degree of grains grown on a surface of a semiconductor wafer, in which the growth degree of grains is automatically calculated and numerated through a computer by using an image file of the surface of the semiconductor wafer scanned by an SEM. A predetermined portion of a surface of the wafer is scanned using the SEM, and the scanned SEM image is simultaneously stored into a database. An automatic numerical program applies meshes to an analysis screen frame and selects an analysis area on a measured image. Thereafter, a smoothing process for reducing an influence of noise is performed on respective pixels designated by the meshes using an average value of image data of adjacent pixels. A standardization process is then performed, based on respective images in order to remove a brightness difference between the measured images. After comparing standardized image data values of the respective pixels with a predetermined threshold value, the number of pixels whose standardized image data value is greater than the threshold value is counted. The growth degree of grains on the surface of the wafer is calculated by numerating a ratio of the counted number with respect to a total number of the pixels contained within the analysis target image.

Method and apparatus for numerically analyzing grain growth on semiconductor wafer using SEM image

A method and an apparatus for measuring a step difference in a semiconductor device without making contact with the semiconductor device. A first beam is radiated onto a wafer so as to form a first focus on a first portion of the wafer, and a second beam is radiated onto the wafer so as to form a second focus on a second portion of the wafer. The step difference between the first portion and the second portion of the wafer is measured by calculating a vertical displacement distance of the wafer and a beam focusing device used to attain the first focus and the second focus.

Method for measuring step difference in a semiconductor device and apparatus for performing the same

A method for inspecting a polishing pad, an apparatus for performing the method, and a polishing device adopting the apparatus for preventing wafer defects. Polishing pad defects are detected by comparing optical data from a normal polishing pad, which does not cause wafer defects, with optical data from a polishing pad to be inspected. The respective optical data are obtained by radiating a beam into the polishing pad and then collecting and analyzing a beam reflected from the polishing pad.

Method for inspecting a polishing pad in a semiconductor manufacturing process, an apparatus for performing the method, and a polishing device adopting the apparatus

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Yongin-si, South Korea

Yu-Sin Yang