Abstract: A wafer monitoring system including a gripper operative to fixedly hold a wafer, a bottom buffering unit comprising at least one supporting element adapted to support a wafer, a top buffering unit comprising at least two supporting elements adapted to support a wafer, a first actuator operative to effect relative movement between at least two supporting elements of the top buffering unit, monitoring apparatus operative to perform processing steps on a wafer while the wafer is held fixed to the gripper, and an actuator operative to effect relative movement between the gripper and the top and bottom buffering units, the top and bottom buffering units being operative to buffer processed and unprocessed wafers thereby to enable a robot to arrive at and leave the monitoring apparatus with at least one wafer thereon.

Abstract: A monitoring tool for monitoring an article in a wet environment, the monitoring tool including a monitoring station having an optical unit, a liquid holding unit for receiving the article, and a window, through which at least a portion of the article is viewable by the optical unit, a buffer station associated with the monitoring station having a plurality of supporting assemblies for receiving the article before and after being monitored, wherein at least one of the supporting assemblies includes a liquid receptacle for holding the article therein, and a gripping unit operating in conjunction with the monitoring station for moving the article from the buffer station to the liquid holding unit of the monitoring station.

Abstract: An optical system is disclosed for the inspection of wafers during polishing which also includes a measurement system for measuring the thickness of the wafer's top layer. The optical system views the wafer through a window and includes a gripping system, which places the wafer in a predetermined viewing location while maintaining the patterned surface completely under water. The optical system also includes a pull-down unit for pulling the measurement system slightly below the horizontal prior to the measurement and returns the measuring system to the horizontal afterwards.