Apparatus and method of detecting a polishing endpoint layer of a semiconductor wafer which includes a metallic reporting substance
US6121147A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 11, 1998 |
| Grant date | Sep 19, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 11, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/31053
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method of planarizing a semiconductor wafer to a distance from a semiconductor substrate of the wafer is disclosed. The method includes the step of forming in the wafer a metallic reporting substance that is at the predetermined distance from the substrate of the wafer. The method also includes the step of polishing a first side of the wafer in order to remove material from the wafer. The method further includes the step of utilizing an atomic absorption spectroscopic technique to detect the presence of the metallic reporting substance in the material removed from the wafer. Moreover, the method includes the step of terminating the polishing step in response to the detection of the metallic reporting substance. An associated apparatus for polishing a semiconductor wafer down to a metallic reporting substance of the wafer is also described.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.