Agilent Technologies has come up with a new method to determine trace-metal contaminants in semiconductor-grade phosphoric acid. Employing the high detection capability of the company's Model 7500cs reaction cell ICP-MS, the method can determine parts-per-trillion-level impurities for all SEMI-specified elements. Users can see detection limit, spike recovery, stability, and other data when analyzing incoming chemicals for purity. Information: www.agilent.com. (Semicon West, S.F., North Hall, Booth 6661; S.J., McEnery Hall, Booth 10516)

Veeco Instruments has released a new scanning technique for its MultiMode and Dimensions scanning probe microscopes. The torsional resonance mode (TRmode) measures tip-sample interactions through torsional resonance of the probe microscope's cantilever to facilitate superior lateral characterization of sample surfaces. The nondestructive technique, which can be used alongside Tapping Mode imaging, has many nanotechnology applications, including nanotribology and magnetic properties studies. Information: www.veeco.com. (Semicon West, S.F., South Hall, Booth 402; S.J., McEnery Hall, Booth 10636)

Parker Hannifin's Seal Group has issued an O-ring material offering guide (ORD 5712). The guide features charts, product descriptions, applications, and other updated information about the company's line of O-ring compounds, gland designs, engineering tools, and sizing charts. It can be downloaded from an on-line literature gallery at www.parkerorings.com or obtained by calling 800/C-Parker. The group also released a new catalog (ESD 5600) highlighting elastomeric shapes for sealing and isolation uses manufactured by its engineered seals division. (Semicon West, South Hall, Booth 746)

The vision-based AutoFocus function from Micro-Metric provides extreme repeatability in submicron Z measurements in its IMS series of noncontact CD systems. The computerized AutoFocus evaluates image sharpness at several points while scanning through a small distance in the focal axis. After the scan, position and sharpness data are analyzed to determine the best focal point, which can then be interpolated between data points to provide repeatability and resolution to 10 nm. Information: www.micro-metric.com. (Semicon West, S.F., South Hall, Booth 3045)

The WAMA 2.7 release from WaferYield includes several new features for its WAMA test module. The expanded wafer-mapping package supports a diagonal probe-head to increase test efficiency, publishing and exporting capability for input files for improved sharing among different teams, and additional levels of security and permission. It also provides flexible reference-die location and die index functions that can be easily modified, an enhanced routing algorithm, and other features designed to maximize good-yielding dies and improve overall yield and throughput. Information: www.waferyield.com.

Particle Measuring Systems has launched a new software package, SamplerSight. The software lets operators manage the sampling requirements of their batch-based operations. It also offers a comprehensive view of the batch information with histogram, tabular, and time-plot data in a user-friendly, reportable format. Information: www.pmeasuring.com. (Semicon West, S.F., North Hall, Booth 5953)