Method and apparatus for detecting polishing endpoint with optical monitoring
US6399501B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 13, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jun 4, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 13, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/3212
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus, as well as a method, brings a surface of a substrate into contact with a polishing pad that has a window, causes relative motion between the substrate and the polishing pad, and directs a light beam through the window so that the motion of the polishing pad relative to the substrate causes the light beam to move in a path across the substrate. An extreme intensity measurement is derived from a plurality of intensity measurements made as the light beam moves across the substrate. The beam sweeps across the substrate a plurality of times to generate a plurality of extreme intensity measurements, and a polishing endpoint is detected based on the plurality of extreme intensity measurements.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.