METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EXAMINING A SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER

AbstractMethod and apparatus for examining a semiconductor waferThe invention relates to a method for examining a semiconductor wafer, wherein the edge of the semiconductor wafer is examined by means of an imaging method and the positions and forms of defects on the edge are determined in this way, wherein, in addition, a ring-shaped region on the flat area of the semiconductor wafer, the outer margin of which region is not more distant than 10 mm from the edge, is examined by means of photoelastic stress measurement and the positions of stressed regions in said ring-shaped region are determined in this way, wherein the positions of the defects and the positions of the stressed regions are compared with one another, and the defects are classified in classes on the basis of their form and the results of the photoelastic stress measurement.The invention also relates to an apparatus suitable for carrying out this method.Fig. 1