Abstract: A photovoltaic cell, the cell comprising: a silicon substrate of bulk silicon material having front and rear surfaces; an emitter layer on the rear surface of said substrate; elongate channels through the emitter layer; elongate contacts to the bulk of the silicon substrate within at least some of the elongate channels, wherein the contacts are narrower than the channels; and gaps in the emitter between at least some of the elongate contacts and the emitter layer on the sides of the contacts.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for determining a line profile in a patterned structure, aimed at controlling a process of manufacture of the structure. The patterned structure comprises a plurality of different layers, the pattern in the structure being formed by patterned regions and un-patterned regions. At least first and second measurements are carried out, each utilizing illumination of the structure with a broad wavelengths band of incident light directed on the structure at a certain angle of incidence, detection of spectral characteristics of light returned from the structure, and generation of measured data representative thereof. The measured data obtained with the first measurement is analyzed, and at least one parameter of the structure is thereby determined.

Abstract: Apparatus for processing substrates according to a predetermined photolithography process includes a loading station in which the substrates are loaded, a coating station in which the substrates are coated with a photoresist material, an exposing station in which the photoresist coating is exposed to light through a mask having a predetermined pattern to produce a latent image of the mask on the photoresist coating, a developing station in which the latent image is developed, an unloading station in which the substrates are unloaded and a monitoring station for monitoring the substrates with respect to predetermined parameters of said photolithography process before reaching the unloading station.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for controlling processing of a structure. First measured data is provided being indicative of at least one of: a thickness (d2) of at least one layer (L2) of the structure W in at least selected sites of the structure prior to processing of the structure, and a surface profile of the structure prior to processing. An optical measurement is applied to at least the selected sites of the structure after processing and second measured data is generated being indicative of at least one of: a thickness of the processed structure (d?) and a surface profile of the processed structure. The second measured data is analyzed by interpreting it using the first measured data to determine a thickness (d?1 or d?2) of at least one layer of the processed structure. This determined thickness is indicative of the quality of processing.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for use in optical processing of an article by VUV radiation. The method comprises: localizing incident VUV radiation propagation from an optical head assembly towards a processing site on the article outside the optical head assembly and localizing reflected VUV radiation propagation from said processing site towards the optical head assembly by localizing a medium, non-absorbing with respect to VUV radiation, in within the light propagation path in the vicinity of said site outside the optical head assembly. The level of the medium is controlled by measuring the reflected VUV radiation.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for determining a line profile in a patterned structure, aimed at controlling a process of manufacture of the structure. The patterned structure comprises a plurality of different layers, the pattern in the structure being formed by patterned regions and un-patterned regions. At least first and second measurements are carried out, each utilizing illumination of the structure with a broad wavelengths band of incident light directed on the structure at a certain angle of incidence, detection of spectral characteristics of light returned from the structure, and generation of measured data representative thereof. The measured data obtained with the first measurement is analyzed, and at least one parameter of the structure is thereby determined. Then, this determined parameter is utilized, while analyzing the measured data obtained with the second measurements enabling the determination of the profile of the structure.

Abstract: A system for determining at least two properties of a substrate, including a supporting plate configured to support the substrate, and a measurement device coupled to the supporting plate, including an illumination system configured to direct light toward a surface of the substrate, and a detection system coupled to the illumination system and configured to detect light propagating from the surface of the substrate, wherein the measurement device is configured to generate one or more output signals in response to the detected light, and a control unit coupled to the measurement device and configured to determine a first property and a second property of the substrate from the one or more output signals, wherein the first property comprises a presence of macro defects on the substrate, and wherein the second property comprises overlay misregistration in the substrate.

Abstract: Alignment of layers during manufacture of a multi-layer sample is controlled by applying optical measurements to a measurement site in the sample. The measurement site includes two diffractive structures located one above the other in two different layers, respectively. The optical measurements include at least two measurements with different polarization states of incident light, each measurement including illuminating the measurement site so as to illuminate one of the diffractive structures through the other. The diffraction properties of the measurement site are indicative of a lateral shift between the diffractive structures. The diffraction properties detected are analyzed for the different polarization states of the incident light to determine an existing lateral shift between the layers.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a waveguide within a substrate by local modification of material structure under high power density laser radiation applied from the mostly distant side of the substrate.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for monitoring a process sequentially applied to a stream of substantially identical articles by a processing tool, so as to terminate the operation of the processing tool upon detecting an end-point signal corresponding to a predetermined value of a desired parameter of the article being processed. The article is processed with the processing tool. Upon completing the processing in response to the end-point signal generated by an end-point detector continuously operating during the processing of the article, integrated monitoring is applied to the processed article to measure the value of the desired parameter. The measured value of the desired parameter is analyzed to determine a correction value thereof to be used for adjusting the end-point signal corresponding to the predetermined value of the desired parameter for terminating the processing of the next article in the stream.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for controlling processing of a structure. First measured data is provided being indicative of at least one of: a thickness (d2) of at least one layer (L2) of the structure W in at least selected sites of the structure prior to processing of the structure, and a surface profile of the structure prior to processing. An optical measurement is applied to at least the selected sites of the structure after processing and second measured data is generated being indicative of at least one of: a thickness of the processed structure (d?) and a surface profile of the processed structure. The second measured data is analyzed by interpreting it using the first measured data to determine a thickness (d?1 or d?2) of at least one layer of the processed structure. This determined thickness is indicative of the quality of processing.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for determining a line profile in a patterned structure, aimed at controlling a process of manufacture of the structure. The patterned structure comprises a plurality of different layers, the pattern in the structure being formed by patterned regions and un-patterned regions. At least first and second measurements are carried out, each utilizing illumination of the structure with a broad wavelengths band of incident light directed on the structure at a certain angle of incidence, detection of spectral characteristics of light returned from the structure, and generation of measured data representative thereof. The measured data obtained with the first measurement is analyzed, and at least one parameter of the structure is thereby determined.

Abstract: A system and method for use in spectrometric measurements of an article using selecting an optimal integration time range of the light detection system during which the measurement is to be applied, the optimal integration time being that at which a required value of signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the measurements is obtainable.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for use in controlling the processing of a structure. First measured data is provided being indicative of at least one of the following: a thickness (d2) of at least one layer (L2) of the structure W in at least selected sites of the structure prior to the processing of the structure, and a surface profile of the structure prior to processing. An optical measurement is applied to at least the selected sites of the structure after processing and second measured data is generated being indicative of at least one of the following: a thickness of the process structure (d?) and a surface profile of the processed structure. The second measured data is analyzed by interpreting it using the first measured data to thereby determine a thickness (d?1 or d?2) of at least one layer of the process structure. This determined thickness is thus indicative of the quality of the processing.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for determining a line profile in a patterned structure, aimed at controlling a process of manufacture of the structure. The patterned structure comprises a plurality of different layers, the pattern in the structure being formed by patterned regions and un-patterned regions. At least first and second measurements are carried out, each utilizing illumination of the structure with a broad wavelengths band of incident light directed on the structure at a certain angle of incidence, detection of spectral characteristics of light returned from the structure, and generation of measured data representative thereof. The measured data obtained with the first measurement is analyzed, and at least one parameter of the structure is thereby determined. Then, this determined parameter is utilized, while analyzing the measured data obtained with the second measurements enabling the determination of the profile of the structure.

Abstract: A photovoltaic cell, the cell comprising: a silicon substrate of bulk silicon material having front and rear surfaces; an emitter layer on the rear surface of said substrate; elongate channels through the emitter layer; elongate contacts to the bulk of the silicon substrate within at least some of the elongate channels, wherein the contacts are narrower than the channels; and gaps in the emitter between at least some of the elongate contacts and the emitter layer on the sides of the contacts.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for monitoring a process sequentially applied to a stream of substantially identical articles by a processing tool, so as to terminate the operation of the processing tool upon detecting an end-point signal corresponding to a predetermined value of a desired parameter of the article being processed. The article is processed with the processing tool. Upon completing the processing in response to the end-point signal generated by an end-point detector continuously operating during the processing of the article, integrated monitoring is applied to the processed article to measure the value of the desired parameter. The measured value of the desired parameter is analyzed to determine a correction value thereof to be used for adjusting the end-point signal corresponding to the predetermined value of the desired parameter for terminating the processing of the next article in the stream.

Abstract: A method of depositing a material on a receiving substrate, the method comprising: providing a source substrate having a back surface and a front surface, the back surface carrying at least one piece of coating material; providing a receiving substrate positioned adjacent to the source substrate and facing the coating material; and radiating light towards the front surface of the source substrate, to remove at least one piece of the coating material from the source substrate and deposit said removed at least one piece onto the receiving substrate as a whole.

Abstract: Photovoltaic thin film quality control is obtained where the thin film is supported by a support and a section of the film is illuminated by a polychromatic or monochromatic illumination source. The illumination is positioned in certain locations including locations where the layer stack includes a reduced number of thin film layers. Such locations may be discrete sampled points located within scribe lines, contact frames or dedicated measurement targets. The light collected from such discrete sampled points is transferred to a photo-sensitive sensor through an optical switch. The spectral signal of the light reflected, transmitted or scattered by the sampled points is collected by the sensor and processed by a controller in such a way that parameters of simplified stacks are used for accurate determination of desired parameters of the full cell stack. In this way the photovoltaic thin film parameters applicable to the quality control are derived e.g.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for monitoring a process sequentially applied to a stream of substantially identical articles by a processing tool, so as to terminate the operation of the processing tool upon detecting an end-point signal corresponding to a predetermined value of a desired parameter of the article being processed. The article is processed with the processing tool. Upon completing the processing in response to the end-point signal generated by an end-point detector continuously operating during the processing of the article, integrated monitoring is applied to the processed article to measure the value of the desired parameter. The measured value of the desired parameter is analyzed to determine a correction value thereof to be used for adjusting the end-point signal corresponding to the predetermined value of the desired parameter for terminating the processing of the next article in the stream.