Rotary signal coupling for chemical mechanical polishing endpoint detection with a westech tool

US5663637A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Leping Li · Poughkeepsie, US
• Steven G. Barbee · Beekman, US
• Gary R. Doyle · South Burlington, US
• Arnold Halperin · Somers, US
• Kevin L. Holland · Newburgh, US
• Francis Walter Kazak · South Burlington, US
• Robert B. Lipori · Stamford, US
• Anne Elizabeth McGuire · Colchester, US
• Rock Nadeau · Jericho, US
• William Joseph Surovic · Carmel, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 19, 1996
• Grant date: Sep 2, 1997
• Expiry date: Mar 19, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L2924/0002
• WIPO field: Machine tools
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Rotary signal coupling in in-situ monitoring of a chemical-mechanical polishing process. A sensor fixed to a rotatable wafer carrier for creating a signal responsive to the chemical mechanical polishing process is coupled to a bottom half of a rotary transformer fixed to a rotating portion of the polisher. A top half of the rotary transformer, coupled to the bottom half of the rotary transformer, is fixed to a stationary portion of the polisher. The signal from the sensor is thus coupled through the rotary transformer to a process monitor.