Light scatter by submicron particles and defects is of great interest to the semiconductor community. Detection of these light scatterers is crucial to the overall yield of any microelectronic device manufacturer. It is this interest coupled with the limited understanding of the interaction between particles and defect, and a patterned surface by the technical community that prompted this research.; This dissertation shows the results of numerous experimental measurements which were made to investigate the positional effects of a submicron particle or defect in close proximity to a surface feature or series of surface features. The measured cases varied from simple single surface features with small defects to submicron particles on complex chemical mechanical polished surfaces. Spherical polystyrene latex particles ranging from 0.204{dollar}mu{dollar}m to 0.482{dollar}mu{dollar}m were used as part of this study. Two lasers were also used to study the wavelength effects on the scattered light.; This research shows the location of a particle can result in a significant change in the far-field scattering intensity. A method for determining the relative position of the particle on the surface is presented and an instrument for implementing this method is proposed.
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