Patent ID: 7202951

Claim:
A thin film analysis system for analyzing a test sample, the test sample comprising a thin film formed on a substrate and a contaminant layer formed on the thin film, the thin film analysis system comprising: an energy beam source for directing an energy beam at the contaminant layer during a cleaning operation, the energy beam being configured to provide localized heating to a portion of the contaminant layer, thereby removing the portion of the contaminant layer and exposing an analysis area on the thin film; a thin film analysis module for measuring the thin film at the analysis area, wherein the thin film analysis module is configured to apply one of a probe beam and a probe structure to the analysis area during a measurement operation; and a positioning mechanism for aligning the energy beam with the portion of the contaminant layer during the cleaning operation and for aligning one of the probe beam and the probe structure with the analysis area during the measurement operation.