Patent ID: 6714300
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: G01N,H01L

Abstract:
An apparatus for analyzing characteristics of one or more thin films formed on a semiconductor wafer comprising:an optical inspection module including a light source for generating a probe beam of radiation, wherein said probe beam of radiation is directed to interact with the wafer and wherein changes in the probe beam induced by interaction with the wafer are monitored and further including a processor for analyzing the characteristics of the thin film on the wafer based on the monitored probe beam; a cleaning module coupled to the optical inspection module, said cleaning module including a heating element which heats the wafer, whereby the heating of the wafer operates to reduce the thickness of a contamination layer on the wafer so that the analysis of the thin film layers by the optical inspection module can be improved; and a wafer transport module coupled to the cleaning module and the optical inspection module which operates to transport a wafer cleaned by the cleaning module to the optical module.