Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100279435 | TEMPERATURE CONTROL OF CHEMICAL MECHANICAL POLISHING - A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus including a platen for holding a pad having a polishing surface, a subsystem for holding a substrate and the polishing surface together during a polishing step, and a temperature sensor oriented to measure a temperature of the polishing surface, wherein the subsystem accepts the temperature measured by the sensor and is programmed to vary a polishing process parameter in response to the measured temperature. In an aspect, a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus having a platen for holding a pad having a polishing surface, a fluid delivery system for transporting a fluid from a source to the polishing surface, and a temperature controller which during operation controls the temperature of the fluid transported by the delivery system. | 11-04-2010 |
20110189856 | High Sensitivity Real Time Profile Control Eddy Current Monitoring System - A method of chemical mechanical polishing a metal layer on a substrate includes polishing the metal layer on the substrate at first and second polishing stations, monitoring thickness of the metal layer during polishing at the first and second polishing station with first and second eddy current monitoring systems having different resonant frequencies, and controlling pressures applied by a carrier head to the substrate during polishing at the first and second polishing stations to improve uniformity based on thickness measurements from the first and second eddy current monitoring systems. | 08-04-2011 |
20110189925 | High Sensitivity Real Time Profile Control Eddy Current Monitoring System - An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing includes a platen having a surface to support a polishing pad, and an eddy current monitoring system to generate an eddy current signal. The eddy current monitoring system includes a core and a coil wound around a portion of the core. The core includes a back portion, a first prong extending from the back portion in a first direction normal to the surface of the platen and having a width in a second direction parallel to the surface of the platen, and second and third prongs extending from the back portion in parallel with the first protrusion, the second and third prongs positioned on opposite sides of and equidistant from the first prong. A spacing between each of the second and third prongs and the first prong is approximately equal to twice the width of the first prong. | 08-04-2011 |
20120064801 | Feedback Control of Polishing Using Optical Detection of Clearance - A method of controlling polishing includes polishing a first substrate having an overlying layer on an underlying layer or layer structure. During polishing, the substrate is monitored with an in-situ monitoring system to generate a sequence of measurements. The measurements are sorted into groups, each group associated with a different zone of a plurality of zones on the substrate. For each zone, a time at which the overlying layer is cleared is determined based on the measurements from the associated group. At least one second adjusted polishing pressure for at least zone is calculated based on a pressure applied in the at least one zone during polishing the substrate, the time for the at least one zone, and the time for another zone. A second substrate is polished using the at least one adjusted polishing pressure. | 03-15-2012 |
20120276661 | HIGH SENSITIVITY EDDY CURRENT MONITORING SYSTEM - A method of chemical mechanical polishing a substrate includes polishing a metal layer on the substrate at a polishing station, monitoring thickness of the metal layer during polishing at the polishing station with an eddy current monitoring system, and controlling pressures applied by a carrier head to the substrate during polishing of the metal layer at the polishing station based on thickness measurements of the metal layer from the eddy current monitoring system to reduce differences between an expected thickness profile of the metal layer and a target profile, wherein the metal layer has a resistivity greater than 700 ohm Angstroms. | 11-01-2012 |
20120276662 | EDDY CURRENT MONITORING OF METAL FEATURES - A method of chemical mechanical polishing a substrate includes polishing a plurality of discrete separated metal features of a layer on the substrate at a polishing station, using an eddy current monitoring system to monitor thickness of the metal features in the layer, and controlling pressures applied by a carrier head to the substrate during polishing of the layer at the polishing station based on thickness measurements of the metal features from the eddy current monitoring system to reduce differences between an expected thickness profile of the metal feature and a target profile. | 11-01-2012 |
20120276817 | EDDY CURRENT MONITORING OF METAL RESIDUE OR METAL PILLARS - A method of chemical mechanical polishing a substrate includes polishing a metal layer on the substrate at a polishing station, monitoring thickness of the metal layer during polishing at the polishing station with an eddy current monitoring system, and halting polishing when the eddy current monitoring system indicates that residue of the metal layer is removed from an underlying layer and a top surface of the underlying layer is exposed. | 11-01-2012 |
20130224890 | Feedback Control Using Detection Of Clearance And Adjustment For Uniform Topography - A method of controlling polishing includes storing a desired ratio representing a ratio for a clearance time of a first zone of a substrate to a clearance time of a second zone of the substrate. During polishing of a first substrate, an overlying layer is monitored, a sequence of measurements is generated, and the measurements are sorted a first group associated with the first zone of the substrate and a second group associated with the second zone on the substrate. A first time and a second time at which the overlying layer is cleared is determined based on the measurements from the first group and the second group, respectively. At least one adjusted polishing pressure is calculated for the first zone based on a first pressure applied in the first zone during polishing the first substrate, the first time, the second time, and the desired ratio. | 08-29-2013 |
20140127971 | IN-SITU MONITORING SYSTEM WITH MONITORING OF ELONGATED REGION - A method of chemical mechanical polishing a substrate includes polishing a layer on the substrate at a polishing station, monitoring the layer during polishing at the polishing station with an in-situ monitoring system, the in-situ monitoring system monitoring an elongated region and generating a measured signal, computing an angle between a primary axis of the elongated region and a tangent to an edge of the substrate, modifying the measured signal based on the angle to generate a modified signal, and at least one of detecting a polishing endpoint or modifying a polishing parameter based on the modified signal. | 05-08-2014 |