公开(公告)号：US20150298284A1

公开(公告)日：2015-10-22

申请号：US14257619

申请日：2014-04-21

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jeffrey Drue David

IPC: B24B37/04 ,  H01F1/44 ,  B24B29/00

CPC classification number: B24B37/046 ,  B24B29/00 ,  H01F1/447

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a platen having a first surface to support a polishing pad and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a carrier head to hold a substrate against the polishing pad, and a control assembly adjacent the second surface of the platen and opposite to the carrier head. The platen comprises a platen material having an adjustable rigidity. The control assembly is configured to control the rigidity of the platen material.

Abstract translation: 抛光装置包括具有支撑抛光垫的第一表面和与第一表面相对的第二表面的压板，用于将衬底保持在抛光垫上的承载头，以及与压板的第二表面相邻的控制组件， 到载体头。 压板包括具有可调节刚度的压板材料。 控制组件被配置为控制压板材料的刚性。

公开(公告)号：US09142466B2

公开(公告)日：2015-09-22

申请号：US14041113

申请日：2013-09-30

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Harry Q. Lee ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek ,  Dominic J. Benvegnu ,  Jeffrey Drue David

IPC: H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/461 ,  B44C1/22 ,  C03C15/00 ,  C03C25/68 ,  G06F19/00 ,  H01L21/66 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/12 ,  H01L21/306

CPC classification number: H01L22/12 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/12 ,  H01L21/30625 ,  H01L2924/0002 ,  H01L2924/00

Abstract: Methods of determining a polishing endpoint are described using spectra obtained during a polishing sequence. In particular, techniques for using only desired spectra, faster searching methods and more robust rate determination methods are described.

Abstract translation: 使用在抛光顺序期间获得的光谱来描述确定抛光终点的方法。 特别地，描述了仅使用期望的光谱，更快的搜索方法和更稳定的速率确定方法的技术。

公开(公告)号：US09056383B2

公开(公告)日：2015-06-16

申请号：US13777829

申请日：2013-02-26

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jeffrey Drue David ,  Benjamin Cherian ,  Dominic J. Benvegnu ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek ,  Thomas H. Osterheld ,  Jun Qian ,  Thomas Li ,  Doyle E. Bennett ,  David J. Lischka ,  Steven M. Zuniga

IPC: B24B49/00 ,  B24B49/12 ,  B24B37/013

CPC classification number: B24B49/12 ,  B24B37/013

Abstract: A method of operating a polishing system includes polishing a substrate at a polishing station, the substrate held by a carrier head during polishing, transporting the substrate to an in-sequence optical metrology system positioned between the polishing station and another polishing station or a transfer station, measuring a plurality of spectra reflected from the substrate with a probe of the optical metrology system while moving the carrier head to cause the probe to traverse a path across the substrate and while the probe remains stationary, the path across the substrate comprising either a plurality of concentric circles or a plurality of substantially radially aligned arcuate segments, and adjusting a polishing endpoint or a polishing parameter of the polishing system based on one or more characterizing values generated based on at least some of the plurality of spectra.

Abstract translation: 一种操作抛光系统的方法包括在抛光台处抛光衬底，在抛光期间由衬底保持的衬底，将衬底传送到定位在抛光站与另一抛光站或转移站之间的顺序光学测量系统 测量由光学计量系统的探针从衬底反射的多个光谱，同时移动载体头以使探针横穿穿过衬底的路径，并且当探针保持静止时，穿过衬底的路径包括多个 同心圆或多个基本上径向对齐的弧形段，以及基于基于多个光谱中的至少一些生成的一个或多个特征值来调整抛光系统的抛光端点或抛光参数。

公开(公告)号：US20150120242A1

公开(公告)日：2015-04-30

申请号：US14063740

申请日：2013-10-25

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jeffrey Drue David ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek

IPC: G01B11/06

CPC classification number: G01B11/06 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/12 ,  G01B11/0625 ,  H01L22/12 ,  H01L22/20 ,  H01L22/26

Abstract: Among other things, a computer-based method is described. The method comprises receiving, by one or more computers, a plurality of measured spectra reflected from a substrate at a plurality of different positions on the substrate. The substrate comprises at least two regions having different structural features. The method also comprises performing, by the one or more computers, a clustering algorithm on the plurality of measured spectra to separate the plurality of measured spectra into a number of groups based on the spectral characteristics of the plurality of measured spectra; selecting one of the number of groups to provide a selected group having a subset of spectra from the plurality of measured spectra; and determining, in the one or more computers, at least one characterizing value for the substrate based on the subset of spectra of the selected group.

Abstract translation: 其中，描述了基于计算机的方法。 该方法包括由一个或多个计算机接收在衬底上的多个不同位置处从衬底反射的多个测量光谱。 衬底包括具有不同结构特征的至少两个区域。 所述方法还包括由所述一个或多个计算机执行所述多个测量光谱上的聚类算法，以基于所述多个测量光谱的光谱特征将所述多个测量光谱分离成多个组; 选择所述组中的一个以提供具有来自所述多个测量光谱的光谱子集的选定组; 以及在所述一个或多个计算机中，基于所选择的组的光谱子集来确定所述衬底的至少一个表征值。

公开(公告)号：US20140242881A1

公开(公告)日：2014-08-28

申请号：US13779686

申请日：2013-02-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jeffrey Drue David ,  Gregory E. Menk ,  Doyle E. Bennett ,  Jun Qian ,  Sivakumar Dhandapani ,  Benjamin Cherian ,  Thomas H. Osterheld ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek

IPC: B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/12

CPC classification number: B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/12

Abstract: A method of controlling a polishing operation is described. A controller stores an optical model for a layer stack having a plurality of layers and a plurality of input parameters including a first parameter and a second parameter. The controller stores data defining a plurality of default values for the first parameter and measures an optical property of a substrate and generates a second value. Using the optical model and the second value and iterating over the first values, a number of reference spectra are calculated. A spectrum is measured and the measured spectrum is matched to the reference spectra and the best matched reference spectrum is determined. The first value of the best matched reference spectrum is determined and is used to adjust a polishing endpoint or a polishing parameter of a polishing apparatus.

Abstract translation: 描述了一种控制抛光操作的方法。 控制器存储具有多个层的层堆叠的光学模型和包括第一参数和第二参数的多个输入参数。 控制器存储为第一参数定义多个默认值的数据，并测量衬底的光学特性并产生第二值。 使用光学模型和第二个值并迭代第一个值，计算多个参考光谱。 测量光谱，并测量光谱与参考光谱相匹配，并确定最佳匹配参考光谱。 确定最佳匹配参考光谱的第一个值，并用于调整抛光装置的抛光终点或抛光参数。

公开(公告)号：US20140242879A1

公开(公告)日：2014-08-28

申请号：US13777829

申请日：2013-02-26

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jeffrey Drue David ,  Benjamin Cherian ,  Dominic J. Benvegnu ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek ,  Thomas H. Osterheld ,  Jun Qian ,  Thomas Li ,  Doyle E. Bennett ,  David J. Lischka ,  Steven M. Zuniga

IPC: B24B49/12

CPC classification number: B24B49/12 ,  B24B37/013

Abstract: A method of operating a polishing system includes polishing a substrate at a polishing station, the substrate held by a carrier head during polishing, transporting the substrate to an in-sequence optical metrology system positioned between the polishing station and another polishing station or a transfer station, measuring a plurality of spectra reflected from the substrate with a probe of the optical metrology system while moving the carrier head to cause the probe to traverse a path across the substrate and while the probe remains stationary, the path across the substrate comprising either a plurality of concentric circles or a plurality of substantially radially aligned arcuate segments, and adjusting a polishing endpoint or a polishing parameter of the polishing system based on one or more characterizing values generated based on at least some of the plurality of spectra.

Abstract translation: 一种操作抛光系统的方法包括在抛光台处抛光衬底，在抛光期间由衬底保持的衬底，将衬底传送到定位在抛光站与另一抛光站或转移站之间的顺序光学测量系统 测量由光学计量系统的探针从衬底反射的多个光谱，同时移动载体头以使探针横穿穿过衬底的路径，并且当探针保持静止时，穿过衬底的路径包括多个 同心圆或多个基本上径向对齐的弧形段，以及基于基于多个光谱中的至少一些生成的一个或多个特征值来调整抛光系统的抛光端点或抛光参数。

公开(公告)号：US20140134758A1

公开(公告)日：2014-05-15

申请号：US13674667

申请日：2012-11-12

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kiran Lall Shrestha ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek ,  Jeffrey Drue David ,  Harry Q. Lee

IPC: H01L21/66

CPC classification number: G01N21/47 ,  B24B37/005 ,  B24B49/12 ,  H01L22/12 ,  H01L22/20

Abstract: A method of controlling processing of a substrate includes measuring a spectrum reflected from the substrate, for each partition of a plurality of partitions of the measured spectrum, computing a partition value based on the measured spectrum within the partition to generate a plurality of partition values, for each reference spectrum signature of a plurality of reference spectrum signatures, determining a membership function for each partition, for each partition, computing a membership value based on the membership function for the partition and the partition value for the partition to generate a plurality of groups of membership values with each group of the plurality of groups associated with a reference spectrum signature, selecting a best matching reference spectrum signature from the plurality of reference spectra signatures based on the plurality of groups of membership values, and determining a characterizing value associated with the best matching reference spectrum signature.

Abstract translation: 一种控制衬底处理的方法包括：测量从所述衬底反射的光谱，对于测量光谱的多个分区的每个分区，基于所述分区内的测量光谱计算分区值，以生成多个分区值， 对于多个参考频谱签名的每个参考频谱签名，为每个分区确定每个分区的隶属函数，基于分区的隶属函数和分区的分区值计算隶属度值以生成多个组 与参考频谱签名相关联的多个组的每个组的成员资格值，基于所述多个隶属度值组从所述多个参考频谱签名中选择最佳匹配参考频谱签名，以及确定与所述参考频谱签名相关联的特征值 最佳匹配参考频谱签名 。

公开(公告)号：US20140039660A1

公开(公告)日：2014-02-06

申请号：US14046237

申请日：2013-10-04

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jeffrey Drue David ,  Dominic J. Benvegnu ,  Harry Q. Lee ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek ,  Lakshmanan Karuppiah

IPC: G05B15/02

CPC classification number: G05B15/02 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/12

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for spectrographic monitoring of a substrate during chemical mechanical polishing are described. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method includes storing a library having a plurality of reference spectra, each reference spectrum of the plurality of reference spectra having a stored associated index value, measuring a sequence of spectra in-situ during polishing to obtain measured spectra, for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching reference spectrum to generate a sequence of best matching reference spectra, determining the associated index value for each best matching spectrum from the sequence of best matching reference spectra to generate a sequence of index values, fitting a linear function to the sequence of index values, and halting the polishing either when the linear function matches or exceeds a target index or when the associated index value from the determining step matches or exceeds the target index.

Abstract translation: 描述了在化学机械抛光期间用于光谱监测基底的方法，系统和装置。 一方面，计算机实现的方法包括存储具有多个参考光谱的库，多个参考光谱的每个参考光谱具有存储的相关联的索引值，在抛光期间原位测量光谱序列以获得测量的光谱 ，对于光谱序列的每个测量光谱，找到最佳匹配参考光谱以产生最佳匹配参考光谱序列，从最佳匹配参考光谱序列确定每个最佳匹配光谱的相关索引值，以产生序列 索引值，将线性函数拟合到索引值序列，以及当线性函数匹配或超过目标索引时或者当来自确定步骤的相关索引值匹配或超过目标索引时停止抛光。