Patent · US Expired

System and method for controlling a multi-arm polishing tool

US6171174A · kind A · utility

13Cited by
7References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 26, 1998
Grant dateJan 9, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 26, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P90/02
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a polishing tool having multiple arms is provided. In accordance with one embodiment, a first removal rate for each arm based on a first wafer run is determined. A downforce adjustment input for each arm is then determined based on a process model, for the arms, which relates a removal rate for a given arm to downforce adjustments on each of the arms and using each first removal rate. The downforce adjustment input for each arm is provided to the polishing tool for polishing a subsequent run. In this manner, the method takes into account each arms removal rate dependency on the downforce adjustments for all of the arms. This can provide reduced removal rate variations between arms as well as between wafer lots and improve the characteristics of the ultimately formed semiconductor devices.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.