公开(公告)号：US12057354B2

公开(公告)日：2024-08-06

申请号：US18200244

申请日：2023-05-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kun Xu ,  Kiran Lall Shrestha ,  Doyle E. Bennett ,  David Maxwell Gage ,  Benjamin Cherian ,  Jun Qian ,  Harry Q. Lee

IPC: H01L21/66 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/10 ,  G06F17/15 ,  G06N3/08 ,  H01L21/304 ,  H01L21/321

CPC classification number: H01L22/14 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/105 ,  G06F17/15 ,  G06N3/08 ,  H01L21/304 ,  H01L21/3212 ,  H01L22/12 ,  H01L22/26

Abstract: A method of polishing a substrate includes polishing a conductive layer on the substrate at a polishing station, monitoring the layer with an in-situ eddy current monitoring system to generate a plurality of measured signals values for a plurality of different locations on the layer, generating thickness measurements the locations, and detecting a polishing endpoint or modifying a polishing parameter based on the thickness measurements. The conductive layer is formed of a first material having a first conductivity. Generating includes calculating initial thickness values based on the plurality of measured signals values and processing the initial thickness values through a neural network that was trained using training data acquired by measuring calibration substrates having a conductive layer formed of a second material having a second conductivity that is lower than the first conductivity to generated adjusted thickness values.

公开(公告)号：US20240123565A1

公开(公告)日：2024-04-18

申请号：US18240587

申请日：2023-08-31

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kun Xu ,  Andrew Siordia

IPC: B24B37/005 ,  B24B37/04 ,  B24B37/10 ,  G01B7/06

CPC classification number: B24B37/005 ,  B24B37/042 ,  B24B37/10 ,  G01B7/10

Abstract: A method of chemical mechanical polishing includes bringing a conductive layer of a substrate into contact with a polishing pad, supplying a polishing liquid to the polishing pad, generating relative motion between the substrate and the polishing pad, monitoring the substrate with an in-situ electromagnetic induction monitoring system as the conductive layer is polished to generate a sequence of signal values that depend on a thickness of the conductive layer, and determining a sequence of thickness values for the conductive layer based on the sequence of signal values. Determining the sequence of thickness values includes at least partially compensating for a contribution of the polishing liquid to the signal values.

公开(公告)号：US11865664B2

公开(公告)日：2024-01-09

申请号：US17341285

申请日：2021-06-07

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kun Xu ,  Harry Q. Lee ,  Benjamin Cherian ,  David Maxwell Gage

IPC: B24B37/005 ,  H01L21/321 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/10

CPC classification number: B24B37/005 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/105 ,  H01L21/3212

Abstract: During polishing of a stack of adjacent layers, a plurality of instances of a profile control algorithm are executed on a controller with different instances having different values for a control parameter. A first instance receives a sequence of characterizing values from an in-situ monitoring system during an initial time period to control a polishing parameter, and a second instance receives the sequence of characterizing values during the initial time period and a subsequent time period to control the polishing parameter. Exposure of the underlying layer is detected based on the sequence of characterizing values from the in-situ monitoring system.

公开(公告)号：US20210379724A1

公开(公告)日：2021-12-09

申请号：US17341283

申请日：2021-06-07

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kun Xu ,  Harry Q. Lee ,  Benjamin Cherian ,  David Maxwell Gage

IPC: B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/10

Abstract: A method of controlling polishing includes polishing a stack of adjacent conductive layers on a substrate, measuring with an in-situ eddy current monitoring system a sequence of characterizing values for the substrate during polishing, calculating a polishing rate from the sequence of characterizing values repeatedly during polishing, calculating one or more adjustments for one or more polishing parameters based on a current polishing rate using a first control algorithm for an initial time period, detecting a change in the polishing rate that indicates exposure of the underlying conductive layer, and calculating one or more adjustments for one or more polishing parameters based on the polishing rate using a different second control algorithm for a subsequent time period after detecting the change in the polishing rate.

公开(公告)号：US20180079052A1

公开(公告)日：2018-03-22

申请号：US15710533

申请日：2017-09-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kun Xu ,  Kevin Lin ,  Ingemar Carlsson ,  Shih-Haur Shen ,  Tzu-Yu Liu

IPC: B24B49/02 ,  B24B47/10

CPC classification number: B24B49/02 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B37/105 ,  B24B37/205 ,  B24B37/22 ,  B24B47/10 ,  B24B49/04

Abstract: A method of polishing includes polishing a layer of a substrate, monitoring the layer of the substrate with an in-situ monitoring system to generate signal that depends on a thickness of the layer, filtering the signal to generate a filtered signal, determining an adjusted threshold value from an original threshold value and a time delay value representative of time required for filtering the signal, and triggering a polishing endpoint when the filtered signal crosses the adjusted threshold value.

公开(公告)号：US09275917B2

公开(公告)日：2016-03-01

申请号：US14066509

申请日：2013-10-29

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kun Xu ,  Shih-Haur Shen ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek ,  Ingemar Carlsson ,  Doyle E. Bennett ,  Wen-Chiang Tu ,  Hassan G. Iravani ,  Tzu-Yu Liu

IPC: H01L21/66 ,  H01L21/321 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/10

CPC classification number: H01L22/26 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/105 ,  H01L21/3212 ,  H01L22/14

Abstract: In one aspect, a method of controlling polishing includes receiving a measurement of an initial thickness of a conductive film on a first substrate prior to polishing the first substrate from an in-line or stand-alone monitoring system, polishing one or more substrates in a polishing system, the one or more substrates including the first substrate, during polishing of the one or more substrates, monitoring the one or more substrates with an eddy current monitoring system to generate a first signal, determining a starting value of the first signal for a start of polishing of the first substrate, determining a gain based on the starting value and the measurement of the initial thickness, for at least a portion of the first signal collected during polishing of at least one substrate of the one or more substrates, and calculating a second signal based on the first signal and the gain.

Abstract translation: 一方面，一种控制抛光的方法包括：在从第一基板或独立监视系统抛光第一基板之前，在第一基板上接收导电膜的初始厚度的测量，在一个或多个基板中抛光一个或多个基板 抛光系统，所述一个或多个衬底包括第一衬底，在一个或多个衬底的抛光期间，用涡流监视系统监测该一个或多个衬底以产生第一信号，确定第一信号的起始值 开始抛光第一衬底，对于在一个或多个衬底的至少一个衬底的抛光期间收集的第一信号的至少一部分，基于起始值和初始厚度的测量来确定增益，并且计算 基于第一信号和增益的第二信号。

公开(公告)号：US11850699B2

公开(公告)日：2023-12-26

申请号：US17341283

申请日：2021-06-07

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kun Xu ,  Harry Q. Lee ,  Benjamin Cherian ,  David Maxwell Gage

IPC: B24B37/005 ,  H01L21/321 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/10

CPC classification number: B24B37/005 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/105 ,  H01L21/3212

Abstract: A method of controlling polishing includes polishing a stack of adjacent conductive layers on a substrate, measuring with an in-situ eddy current monitoring system a sequence of characterizing values for the substrate during polishing, calculating a polishing rate from the sequence of characterizing values repeatedly during polishing, calculating one or more adjustments for one or more polishing parameters based on a current polishing rate using a first control algorithm for an initial time period, detecting a change in the polishing rate that indicates exposure of the underlying conductive layer, and calculating one or more adjustments for one or more polishing parameters based on the polishing rate using a different second control algorithm for a subsequent time period after detecting the change in the polishing rate.

公开(公告)号：US20230290691A1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-14

申请号：US18200244

申请日：2023-05-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kun Xu ,  Kiran Lall Shrestha ,  Doyle E. Bennett ,  David Maxwell Gage ,  Benjamin Cherian ,  Jun Qian ,  Harry Q. Lee

IPC: H01L21/66 ,  G06N3/08 ,  H01L21/304 ,  G06F17/15 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/10 ,  H01L21/321

CPC classification number: H01L22/14 ,  G06N3/08 ,  H01L21/304 ,  H01L22/12 ,  G06F17/15 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/105 ,  H01L21/3212 ,  H01L22/26

Abstract: A method of polishing a substrate includes polishing a conductive layer on the substrate at a polishing station, monitoring the layer with an in-situ eddy current monitoring system to generate a plurality of measured signals values for a plurality of different locations on the layer, generating thickness measurements the locations, and detecting a polishing endpoint or modifying a polishing parameter based on the thickness measurements. The conductive layer is formed of a first material having a first conductivity. Generating includes calculating initial thickness values based on the plurality of measured signals values and processing the initial thickness values through a neural network that was trained using training data acquired by measuring calibration substrates having a conductive layer formed of a second material having a second conductivity that is lower than the first conductivity to generated adjusted thickness values.

公开(公告)号：US20230213324A1

公开(公告)日：2023-07-06

申请号：US18183138

申请日：2023-03-13

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Hassan G. Iravani ,  Kun Xu ,  Denis Ivanov ,  Shih-Haur Shen ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek

IPC: G01B7/06 ,  B24B49/10

CPC classification number: G01B7/105 ,  B24B49/10

Abstract: An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing includes a support for a polishing pad having a polishing surface, and an electromagnetic induction monitoring system to generate a magnetic field to monitor a substrate being polished by the polishing pad. The electromagnetic induction monitoring system includes a core and a coil wound around a portion of the core. The core includes a back portion, a center post extending from the back portion in a first direction normal to the polishing surface, and an annular rim extending from the back portion in parallel with the center post and surrounding and spaced apart from the center post by a gap. A width of the gap is less than a width of the center post, and a surface area of a top surface of the annular rim is at least two times greater than a surface area of a top surface of the center post.

公开(公告)号：US11524382B2

公开(公告)日：2022-12-13

申请号：US16368649

申请日：2019-03-28

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kun Xu ,  Denis Ivanov ,  Harry Q. Lee ,  Jun Qian

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  G06N3/063 ,  B24B37/005 ,  B24B49/10 ,  G05B19/048 ,  G06N20/00

Abstract: Data received from an in-situ monitoring system includes, for each scan of a sensor, a plurality of measured signal values for a plurality of different locations on a layer. A thickness of a polishing pad is determined based on the data from the in-situ monitoring system. For each scan, a portion of the measured signal values are adjusted based on the thickness of the polishing pad. For each scan of the plurality of scans and each location of the plurality of different locations, a value is generated representing a thickness of the layer at the location. This includes processing the adjusted signal values using one or more processors configured by machine learning. A polishing endpoint is detected or a polishing parameter is modified based on the values representing the thicknesses at the plurality of different locations.