Control of steam generation for chemical mechanical polishing

US11833637B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Hari Soundararajan · Sunnyvale, US
• Shou-Sung Chang · Mountain View, US
• Calvin Spencer Lee · San Fernando, US
• Jonathan P. Domin · Sunnyvale, US
• Shuchivrat Datar · Santa Clara, US
• Dmitry Sklyar · San Jose, US
• Paul D. Butterfield · San Jose, US
• Chad Pollard · San Jose, US
• Haosheng Wu · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 28, 2021
• Grant date: Dec 5, 2023
• Expiry date: Jun 28, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F22B35/00
• WIPO field: Machine tools
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a steam generator with a heating element to apply heat to a vessel to generate steam, an opening to deliver steam onto a polishing pad, a first valve in a fluid line between the opening and the vessel, a sensor to monitor a steam parameter, and a control system. The control system causes the valve to open and close in accordance with a steam delivery schedule in a recipe, receive a measured value for the steam parameter from the sensor, receive a target value for the steam parameter, and perform a proportional integral derivative control algorithm with the target value and measured value as inputs so as to control the first valve and/or a second pressure release valve and/or the heating element such that the measured value reaches the target value substantially just before the valve is opened according to the steam delivery schedule.