Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090096446 | Polishing monitoring method, polishing apparatus and monitoring apparatus - The present invention provides a method for monitoring a change in thickness of a conductive film brought into sliding contact with a polishing surface of a polishing pad using an eddy current sensor. The output signal of the eddy current sensor comprises two signals corresponding to a resistance component and an inductive reactance component of an impedance of an electric circuit including a coil of the eddy current sensor. The method includes acquiring the output signal of the eddy current sensor when the eddy current sensor is facing the conductive film, defining the two signals as coordinates on a coordinate system, repeating the acquiring of the output signal and the defining of the coordinates, determining a center of curvature of an arc specified by at least three sets of coordinates on the coordinate system, determining an angle of inclination of a line connecting the center of curvature and a latest one of the at least three sets of coordinates, and monitoring a change in thickness of the conductive film by monitoring a change in the angle of inclination. | 04-16-2009 |
20090104847 | Polishing monitoring method and polishing apparatus - The present invention provides a method of monitoring a change in film thickness during polishing using an eddy current sensor. This method includes acquiring an output signal of the eddy current sensor as a correction signal value during water-polishing of a substrate, during dressing of the polishing pad, or during replacement of the polishing pad, calculating a correcting amount from a difference between the correction signal value and a predetermined correction reference value, calculating an actual measurement signal value by subtracting the correction amount from the output signal of the eddy current sensor when polishing a substrate having a conductive film, and monitoring a change in thickness of the conductive film during polishing by monitoring a change in the actual measurement signal value. | 04-23-2009 |
20090286332 | POLISHING METHOD - A method for polishing a substrate having a metal film thereon is described. The substrate has metal interconnects formed from part of the metal film. The polishing method includes performing a first polishing process of removing the metal film, after the first polishing process, performing a second polishing process of removing the barrier film, after the second polishing process, performing a third polishing process of polishing the insulating film, during the second polishing process and the third polishing process, monitoring a polishing state of the substrate with an eddy current sensor, and terminating the third polishing process when an output signal of the eddy current sensor reaches a predetermined threshold. | 11-19-2009 |
20100035516 | POLISHING METHOD AND APPARATUS - The present invention relates to a polishing method and apparatus for polishing and planarizing an object to be polished (substrate) such as a semiconductor wafer. The substrate as an object to be polished is pressed against a polishing surface on a rotating polishing table in the polishing method. During polishing of the substrate, the polishing table is rotated, and the surface, being polished, of the substrate is scanned by an eddy current sensor provided in the polishing table. An output of the eddy current sensor obtained by scanning the surface, being polished, of the substrate is monitored, and damage of the substrate is detected from a change in the output of the eddy current sensor. Further, an output of an endpoint detecting sensor obtained by scanning the surface, being polished, of the substrate is monitored, and the polishing end point is detected from a change in the output of the end point detecting sensor. After detecting the polishing end point, an output of the endpoint detecting sensor or a different sensor is monitored, and monitoring of the remaining film for detecting a film left on a part of the substrate is performed. | 02-11-2010 |
20100112901 | SUBSTRATE POLISHING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE POLISHING METHOD - The present invention relates to a substrate polishing apparatus and a substrate polishing method for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat finish. The substrate polishing apparatus includes a polishing table ( | 05-06-2010 |
20110124269 | EDDY CURRENT SENSOR AND POLISHING METHOD AND APPARATUS - An eddy current sensor is used for detecting a metal film (or conductive film) formed on a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The eddy current sensor includes a sensor coil disposed near a metal film or a conductive film formed on a substrate, and the sensor coil includes a detection coil operable to detect an eddy current produced in the metal film or the conductive film. The detection coil includes a coil formed by winding a wire by a single row and plural layers, the row being defined as a direction perpendicular to the substrate and the layer being defined as a direction parallel to the substrate. | 05-26-2011 |
20120023206 | ADDRESS DISTRIBUTING METHOD AND DEVICE - A system is disclosed that includes a plurality of node devices arranged in sequence; a first node device operable to generate a device count frame with a device count number and transmit the device count frame to the next node device in the sequence; a control device in communication with at least the first node device; wherein each node device is operable to increase the device count number of the device count frame upon receipt of the device count frame and transmit the device count frame to the next node device in sequence; and wherein the control device operable to receive the device count frame to the first node device after each node device has increased the device count number of the device count frame and assign an IP address for each node device, the number of IP addresses determined by the device count number. | 01-26-2012 |
20120088438 | EDDY CURRENT SENSOR AND POLISHING METHOD AND APPARATUS - An eddy current sensor is used for detecting a metal film (or conductive film) formed on a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The eddy current sensor includes a sensor coil disposed near a metal film or a conductive film formed on a substrate, and the sensor coil includes a detection coil operable to detect an eddy current produced in the metal film or the conductive film. The detection coil includes a coil formed by winding a wire by a single row and plural layers, the row being defined as a direction perpendicular to the substrate and the layer being defined as a direction parallel to the substrate. | 04-12-2012 |
20130065493 | POLISHING MONITORING METHOD, POLISHING END POINT DETECTION METHOD, AND POLISHING APPARATUS - A method of monitoring a thickness of a conductive film on a substrate during polishing of the substrate with use of an eddy current sensor is provided. This method includes: polishing the conductive film by pressing the substrate against a polishing surface on the rotating polishing table; obtaining output signal of the eddy current sensor during polishing; calculating an amount of output adjustment of the eddy current sensor using the output signal obtained when the substrate is not present above the eddy current sensor; with use of the amount of output adjustment, correcting the output signal obtained when the substrate is present above the eddy current sensor; and monitoring the thickness of the conductive film based on the corrected output signal. | 03-14-2013 |
20130260645 | EDDY CURRENT SENSOR AND POLISHING METHOD - An eddy current sensor is used for detecting a metal film (or conductive film) formed on a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The eddy current sensor is disposed near the metal film or the conductive film formed on the substrate to detect an eddy current generated in the metal film or the conductive film. The eddy current sensor includes a plurality of coils having different sizes formed by winding a wire or a conductive material. The plurality of coils includes an inner coil and an outer coil spaced from each other, and the outer coil is configured to surround the inner coil. The plurality of coils are configured to detect respective eddy currents generated in the metal film or the conductive film. | 10-03-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080239656 | DISK ARRAY SYSTEM - In the disk array system, in the basic chassis, HDD modules are installed from a front surface in a front part of a backboard, and duplex CTL modules are installed up and down from a rear surface in a rear part, and duplex power source modules containing fans are installed in the left and right sides thereof. By the operation of the fans, in the rear part, the cooling air flows separately into each CTL module and into each power source module, and the cooling air having passed through the area of the duct by a block in the CTL module is drawn by the fans in the power source module through a ventilation hole and is then exhausted outside. The cooling air flow path to the plurality of ICs is divided by the block. The rotation speed of the fans is controlled by using a temperature sensor. | 10-02-2008 |
20100002374 | DISK ARRAY SYSTEM - In the disk array system, in the basic chassis, HDD modules are installed from a front surface in a front part of a backboard, and duplex CTL modules are installed up and down from a rear surface in a rear part, and duplex power source modules containing fans are installed in the left and right sides thereof. By the operation of the fans, in the rear part, the cooling air flows separately into each CTL module and into each power source module, and the cooling air having passed through the area of the duct by a block in the CTL module is drawn by the fans in the power source module through a ventilation hole and is then exhausted outside. The cooling air flow path to the plurality of ICs is divided by the block. The rotation speed of the fans is controlled by using a temperature sensor. | 01-07-2010 |
20100019735 | Storage system including a plurality of battery modules - In a storage system provided with a plurality of storage modules, the rated power consumption can be reduced. The storage system is provided with a charge control unit. The charge control unit stops, when detecting that a predetermined number of a plurality of battery modules are during battery charging, the battery charging in the remaining battery modules. | 01-28-2010 |
20120161720 | STORAGE SYSTEM INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF BATTERY MODULES - In a storage system provided with a plurality of storage modules, the rated power consumption can be reduced. The storage system is provided with a charge control unit. The charge control unit Stops, when detecting that a predetermined number of a plurality of battery modules are during battery charging, the battery charging in the remaining battery modules. | 06-28-2012 |