Polishing pad surface condition evaluation method and an apparatus thereof and a method of producing a semiconductor device
US7020306B2 · kind B2 · utility
17Cited by
4References
11Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 1, 2001 |
| Grant date | Mar 28, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 12, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/41
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The object of the present invention is to establish a technology for directly evaluating polishing pad surface conditions, to allow high-precision CMP process management, and to improve process throughput. The pad surface is illuminated with light. The intensity of reflected light or fluorescence from the illuminated area or an intensity distribution image is used directly evaluate the pad surface condition. Based on the results of this evaluation, conditioning conditions for a conditioner are optimized, thus allowing high-precision CMP processing while maintaining good pad surface conditions.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.