Patent · US Expired

Optical closed-loop control system for a CMP apparatus and method of manufacture thereof

US6991514B1 · kind B1 · utility

109Cited by
29References
42Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 21, 2003
Grant dateJan 31, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 20, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB24B49/12
  • WIPO fieldMachine tools
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

For use with a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus for polishing a semiconductor wafer having a platen, a polishing pad and a wafer carrier, an optical closed-loop control system. In one embodiment, the system includes a plurality of optical probes impacting a corresponding probe window and rigidly mountable through the platen. The system also includes a flash lamp configured to provide light to each of the plurality of optical probes and minimize an exposure time of the light onto the semiconductor wafer, a spectrograph configured to spatially image light received by each of the plurality of optical probes to a common charge-coupled device and produce real-time spectral reflectometry data therefrom. The system further includes a control subsystem configured to analyze the real-time spectral reflectometry data and determine at least one wafer state parameter therefrom, and cause the polishing to be adjusted based upon the at least one wafer state parameter.

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