Abstract: A system for characterizing interruption defect induced efficiency loss in a photovoltaic cell includes an inspection system configured to acquire inspection data from a photovoltaic cell, a control system configured to: receive the inspection data acquired from the photovoltaic cell, identify one or more interruption defects in one or more fingers of an electrode of the one photovoltaic cell utilizing the inspection data, determine a spatial parameter associated with at least one of the identified interruption defects and one or more floating finger portions of the one or more fingers created by two or more identified interruption defects, determine an interruption-defect-induced efficiency loss of the photovoltaic cell based on the determined spatial parameter associated with the at least one of the identified interruption defects and the floating finger portions of the one or more fingers created by two or more identified interruption defects.

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting defects on a reticle are provided. One method includes printing a single die reticle in first areas of a wafer using different values of a parameter of a lithography process and at least one second area using a nominal value of the parameter. The method also includes acquiring first images of the first areas and second image(s) of the at least one second area. In addition, the method includes separately comparing the first images acquired for different first areas to at least one of the second image(s). The method further includes detecting defects on the reticle based on first portions of the first images in which variations in the first images compared to the at least one second image are greater than second portions of the first images and the first portions that are common to two or more of the first images.

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting defects on a reticle are provided. One method includes printing a single die reticle in first areas of a wafer using different values of a parameter of a lithography process and at least one second area using a nominal value of the parameter. The method also includes acquiring first images of the first areas and second image(s) of the at least one second area. In addition, the method includes separately comparing the first images acquired for different first areas to at least one of the second image(s). The method further includes detecting defects on the reticle based on first portions of the first images in which variations in the first images compared to the at least one second image are greater than second portions of the first images and the first portions that are common to two or more of the first images.