Applied Physics · Precision technologies since 1992
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Contamination Wafer Standard, Calibration Wafer Standard

PSL Calibration Wafer Standard, Silica Contamination Wafer Standard

Particle Deposition tools are used to deposit a very accurate PSL size standard or silica particle size standard on the wafer standard to calibrate a variety of wafer inspection systems.

  • PSL Calibration Wafer Standard for calibration of wafer inspection systems using a low powered laser to scan wafers.
  • Silica Contamination Wafer Standard for calibration of wafer inspection systems using a high powered laser to scan wafers.

Calibration Mask Standard or Silica Mask Standard

Our 2300 XP1 deposits NIST Traceable, Certified mask Standards on borosilicate masks and prime silicon from 75mm to 300mm wafer diameter.

  • PSL Calibration Mask Standard on 125mm and 150mm masks
  • Silica Contamination Standard on 150mm masks
  • 75mm to 300mm Calibration Wafer Standards
  • 75mm to 300mm Silica Contamination Wafer Standards

Calibration Wafer Standard – Request a Quote

Contamination Wafer Standards, Calibration Wafer Standards and Silica Particle Wafer Standards are produced with a Particle Deposition System, which will first analyze a PSL size peak or silica size peak with a Differential Mobility Analyzer (DMA). A DMA is a highly accurate particle scanning tool, combined with condensation particle counter and computer control to isolate a highly accurate size peak, based on NIST Traceable particle size calibration. Once the size peak is verified, the particle size stream is directed to the prime silicon, wafer standard surface. The particles are counted just before being deposited on the wafer surface, typically as a full deposition across the wafer. Alternatively, up to 8 particle sizes can be deposited as spot depositions at specific locations around the wafer. Wafer standards provide highly accurate, size peaks for size calibration of KLA-Tencor Surfscan SP1, KLA-Tencor Surfscan SP2, KLA-Tencor Surfscan SP3, KLA-Tencor Surfscan SP5, Surfscan SPx, Tencor 6420, Tencor 6220, Tencor 6200, ADE, Hitachi and Topcon SSIS tools and wafer inspection systems.

Applied Physics USA

Differential Mobility Analyzer, DMA Voltage scan, Silica Size Peak, 100nm

Differential Mobility Analyzer, DMA Voltage, Silica size peak at 100nm

Applied Physics USA

PSL Spheres size standards and silica size standards are scanned by a differential mobility analyzer to determine true size peak. Once the size peak is analyzed, then the wafer standard can be deposited as a full deposition or a spot deposition, or a multiple spot deposition wafer standards. Silica size peak at 100 nano meters (0.1 microns) is scanned above and the DMA detects a true silica size peak at 101nm.

Full Deposition or Spot Deposition Wafer Standards – A particle deposition system provides highly accurate, PSL Calibration Wafer Standards and Silica Contamination Wafer Standards.

Our 2300 XP1 Particle Deposition System provides automatic particle deposition control to produce your PSL Wafer Standards and Silica Wafer Standards.

Particle Deposition Applications

  • High resolution, NIST traceable DMA (differential mobility analyzer) sizing and classification exceed the new SEMI Standards M52, M53 and M58 protocol for PSL size accuracy and size distribution width
  • Automatic deposition size calibration at 60nm, 100nm, 269nm and 900nm
  • Advanced Differential Mobility Analyzer (DMA) technology featuring automatic temperature and pressure compensation for improved system stability and measurement accuracy
  • The automatic deposition process provides multiple spot depositions on one wafer
  • Full Wafer Depositions across the wafer, or Spot Depositions at any location on the wafer
  • High sensitivity permitting PSL sphere and silica particle deposition from 20nm to 2 μm
  • Deposit silica particles for calibration of your wafer inspection systems using high-powered laser scanning
  • Deposit PSL spheres for calibration of your wafer inspection systems using low-powered laser scanning

Deposit PSL spheres and silica particles on prime silicon wafer standards, or your 150mm photo masks.

Wafer Standards · KLA Surfscan / SSIS Search Path

Select the wafer standard from the tool configuration and calibration objective

The inspection-platform name alone does not define the correct reference. Start with the exact tool and recipe, then specify wafer diameter, substrate, particle material and size, and full-wafer or controlled spot deposition.

Inspection-platform context

Current KLA search context: Surfscan SP7XP / SP7, SP5XP / SP5, SP3, SP A3 and SC1. Legacy / mature-tool context: SP2XP, SP2, SP1 variants and earlier Tencor systems.

Compatibility rule: do not infer Applied Physics standard compatibility from platform family alone. Confirm exact tool model, wafer diameter/substrate, particle material, nominal size(s), deposition geometry and recipe objective.

Inspection Tool Intent → Reference Standard

Route the inquiry by what the inspection tool is trying to verify

Surfscan SP7XP / SP7

Leading-edge unpatterned-wafer inspection intent. Quote from the exact wafer/substrate, target particle size, deposition geometry and recipe objective; do not reuse an older SP-series configuration by assumption.

Surfscan SP5XP / SP5

High-sensitivity process and tool-monitoring intent. Determine whether the requirement is PSL size-response verification, silica/contamination reference work, or another qualified reference.

Surfscan SP3 / SP A-series

Unpatterned-wafer inspection and mature-node support intent. Confirm wafer diameter, substrate, particle material, nominal size and full-versus-spot deposition before quoting.

SP2XP / SP2 / SP1 / Tencor

Installed-base and mature-tool support. Preserve the customer's known recipe/SOP when available rather than forcing a current-tool configuration onto a legacy system.

Surfscan SC1 · SiC / GaN

Compound-semiconductor inspection intent. Substrate optical response, inspection channel and wafer handling can differ materially from silicon; treat the substrate and recipe as first-class RFQ requirements.

Other SSIS / wafer inspectors

For Hitachi, ADE, Topcon and other inspection systems, identify the exact model and the measurement objective first. AP can then map the request to PSL, silica or another appropriate reference configuration.

Important: these tool families are search and application context, not blanket compatibility claims. The quoted standard must be confirmed against the customer's actual inspection configuration.

PSL calibration wafer

Controlled PSL size-response reference for compatible wafer-inspection workflows.

Silica / contamination wafer

Use where the process or study calls for silica or another contamination surrogate.

Deposition geometry

Choose full deposition or controlled spot patterns from the measurement objective and tool recipe.

Reference Selection

PSL wafer, silica contamination wafer, or particle standard?

Customer objectiveStart withCritical RFQ variables
Verify SSIS particle-size responsePSL calibration waferTool/model, wafer, nominal size(s), full vs spot, recipe/SOP
Evaluate repeatability / scan response across waferFull-deposition calibration waferWafer diameter/substrate, target peak, scan objective
Use a non-PSL / silica referenceSilica contamination waferOptical method, substrate, size(s), deposition geometry
Develop or verify a particle-reference workflow off-waferParticle size standardMaterial, nominal size, concentration/form, instrument, certificate need
Compound semiconductor / SiC / GaN inspectionConfiguration review firstTool/model, substrate, diameter, surface/epi state, channel/recipe objective, reference material

Send these five items with the RFQ

  1. Exact inspection tool / model and recipe objective
  2. Wafer diameter and substrate/material
  3. Particle material: PSL, silica or other
  4. Nominal particle size or multi-size set
  5. Full-wafer vs. spot deposition and pattern/location

Why this matters

A model name such as Surfscan SP5, SP7 or SP2 does not uniquely determine the correct standard. Sensitivity mode, substrate, recipe and calibration objective can change the useful reference configuration.

For quoting: include any internal SOP/specification number and whether the standard is for initial calibration, periodic verification, recipe development or troubleshooting.

RFQ Conversion Checklist

Send a quote-ready wafer-standard request

  1. Inspection tool manufacturer and exact model
  2. Wafer diameter, substrate/material and surface/film condition
  3. PSL, silica or other requested reference material
  4. Nominal particle size(s) and single- or multi-peak requirement
  5. Full or spot deposition, location/pattern and recipe/SOP objective

What AP should return

  • Recommended reference configuration
  • Any compatibility assumptions requiring customer confirmation
  • Certificate / traceability scope
  • Lead time and commercial quote

Use the product quote control. Your selected product, variation and quantity will remain attached to the request while you add application and technical details.

Technical FAQ

Questions engineers and validation teams ask

What is an SSIS tool?

SSIS means scanning surface inspection system. These wafer-inspection tools detect and characterize surface defects and particles on bare or film-deposited wafers, and require known reference standards for repeatable size-response verification.

Which KLA Surfscan tool families should be included in a wafer-standard RFQ?

Send the exact installed model. Current KLA search context includes SP7XP/SP7, SP5XP/SP5, SP3, SP A3 and SC1; mature fabs may also use SP2XP, SP2, SP1 variants or earlier Tencor tools. Compatibility still must be confirmed for the exact recipe and wafer.

Should I use PSL or silica on a wafer standard?

PSL and silica are both available reference materials. The appropriate material depends on the inspection system, optical response, particle-size range and calibration objective; Applied Physics can help select the configuration.

VERIFICATION OBJECTIVE

One wafer-standard label can hide five different jobs

Size response

Challenge detection and sizing response at one or more known particle diameters.

Scan uniformity

Use controlled deposition across the wafer to evaluate response consistency.

Tool matching

Compare response between scanners, sites or maintenance states using the same reference.

Recipe development

Develop or verify an inspection recipe against a defined particle and substrate condition.

Process simulation

Use silica or another specified material when the study requires a different contamination surrogate.

Particle-size traceability, deposited particle count and deposition geometry are separate attributes. Confirm which values are certified in the quoted documentation.

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