Abstract: A machine cabinet system is provided. The system includes a machine cabinet with a top face and a front face. In one embodiment, a removable panel is included that is removably coupled to at least one of the top face and the front face of the machine cabinet. In another embodiment, the removable panel is removably coupled to the machine cabinet without use of a tool.

Abstract: A machine cabinet system is provided. The system includes a machine cabinet with a top face and a front face. In one embodiment, a removable panel is included that is removably coupled to at least one of the top face and the front face of the machine cabinet. In another embodiment, the removable panel is removably coupled to the machine cabinet without use of a tool.

Abstract: A machine cabinet system is provided. The system includes a machine cabinet with a top face and a front face. In one embodiment, a removable panel is included that is removably coupled to at least one of the top face and the front face of the machine cabinet. In another embodiment, the removable panel is removably coupled to the machine cabinet without use of a tool.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for measuring the relative reflectance spectra of an observed sample (3) and method and apparatus for autofocussing the sample (3). A broadband visible and ultraviolet beam (42) is split into a sample beam (46) and a reference beam (48). The sample beam (46) is reflected off the surface of the sample (3), and the spectrum of the reflected sample beam (46) is compared to the spectrum of the reference beam (48) to determine the relative reflectance spectrum of the sample (3). A video camera (96) is provided for viewing the sample (3). The autofocus system has a course-focus mode and a fine-focus mode. In the course-focus mode, the sample (3) is focused when the centroid of the sample image is centered on a position sensitive detector (99). In the fine-focus mode, the sample is focused when the intensity of light reaching the detector (99) is minimized.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing conductance measurements on a sample using an eddy current probe, without the need for measurement or knowledge of the separation between probe and sample. The probe comprises sense and drive coils mounted in close proximity to each other (or a single coil which functions as both a sense and drive coil), circuitry for producing AC voltage in the drive coil, and a meter for measuring in-phase and quadrature components of induced voltage in the sense coil. Look-up table data can be generated for use in subsequent measurements on samples of unknown conductance by performing eddy current measurements on samples having different known conductances to generate reference lift-off curves, processing the reference lift-off curves to determine a conductance function relating each known conductance to a location along a selected curve, and storing conductance values determined by the conductance function for different points on the selected curve as the look-up table data.

Abstract: The resistivity of the surface of a semiconductor wafer is measured at different temperatures to determine the resistivity as a function of temperature. The temperature of the semiconductor wafer is varied by a heater in thermal contact with the semiconductor wafer, and the temperature is measured by a temperature sensor in thermal contact with the semiconductor. The heater is controlled by a control unit which adjusts the amount of heat provided by the heater, thereby controlling the temperature at which a measurement from a four-point resistivity probe is taken.

Abstract: An improved real-time confocal scanning microscope, and an improved perforated disk for use in such microscope. A preferred embodiment of the inventive microscope includes a polarizing beamsplitting cube and a rotatable Nipkow disk perforted with a hexagonal hole pattern. The disk is preferably mounted so that the scan lines produced as the disk rotates will cross both the sample feature to be imaged and the sensor array in the system's video camera at an angle substantially equal to 45 degrees. This disk orientation ensures that brightness variations caused by a non-uniform scan will not affect the measurements. Rotation of the disk is preferably synchronized with the camera frame rate to prevent any scan errors from causing random (frame to frame) variations in the camera output. The polarizing beamsplitting cube consists of two triangular prisms connected (i.e., cemented) together by a dielectric film.

Abstract: A method of selecting items from a hierarchy of items and then performing a selected task on the selected set of items. An engineering set up control program includes a procedure for denoting processes, groups of processes, and subgroups of processes which are available for use by operators of the system. The processes, groups and subgroups are visually presented in a three level menu. Subgroups and groups of processes can be selected using the three level menu, and then operated on as a group.

Abstract: An autofocusing system for a microscope is disclosed. An autofocus target is placed between a colliminating lens and a relay lens of the microscope. The autofocus target contains a pattern of dark areas which are projected onto a specimen and reflected into a CCD camera array. The focus of the microscope is adjusted such that the variation in intensity of light through the pattern is maximized.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer handling apparatus for automated movement of semiconductor wafers between wafer cassette trays and wafer test systems is provided. The apparatus includes a platform for carrying at least one semiconductor wafer cassette tray, a wafer alignment device carried by the platform for aligning a semiconductor wafer in a predetermined test position and a wafer transfer device associated with the platform and the wafer alignment device for transferring the wafer between the cassette tray, the alignment device and the test system. The wafer transfer device is operational in the same plane relative to the platform and capable of extending, retracting and rotating in the plane.

Abstract: A process control interface includes a multi-level dynamic menu for selecting processes from a set of processes that are organized into groups and subgroups. An engineering set up control program enables an engineer to denote which of these groups, subgroups and processes are available for selection by an operator using the process control interface. Only those groups, subgroups and processes which are available for selection are displayed in the dynamic menu. The set of processes defined by the engineering set up control program can be stored on individual operator-related disks so that each operator has access to a distinct set of available processes. Process subgroups and groups can be duplicated by the engineering setup control program to facilitate the setting up of new control processes.

Abstract: A method of controlling a process using a programmed digital computer with a set of process control programs. An operator control program allows the user to select and run a specified process and to collect measurement data while the selected process is run. A data analysis program enables interactive computer controlled data analysis, including displaying a trand chart depicting a sequence of data points, each data point representing at least a portion of the measurement data collected and stored while running a selected process. A selectably positionable pointer is displayed on the trend chart for pointing at an individual data point so that the user can select and perform a predefined task on the measurement data stored in the data structure corresponding to the data point being pointed at by said selectably positionable pointer.

Abstract: A system and method for computer control of machine processes, including a dynamic menu feature used in the selection of processes and the definition and selection of operating parameters used by a process control program to direct the performance of the process by the machine.Data structures for a multiplicity of processes are defined and stored. Values stored in the data structures indicate which processes are available for use and the process control program associated with each process. Furthermore, for each parameter of each process a data structure contains an indicia of whether the parameter is a forced entry parameter (which must be given a value before the process is run), a may change parameter (with a default value that may be changed when the process is run), or a locked parameter which has a fixed value.