公开(公告)号：US11715672B2

公开(公告)日：2023-08-01

申请号：US17530390

申请日：2021-11-18

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

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

IPC: H01L21/66 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B37/20 ,  B24B49/08 ,  B24B49/12 ,  B24D7/14 ,  H01L21/3105 ,  H01L21/321 ,  H01L21/306 ,  H01L21/67

CPC classification number: H01L22/26 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B37/205 ,  B24B49/08 ,  B24B49/12 ,  B24D7/14 ,  H01L21/30625 ,  H01L21/31053 ,  H01L21/31055 ,  H01L21/3212 ,  H01L21/67075 ,  H01L21/67092 ,  H01L21/67253

Abstract: A method of detecting a polishing endpoint includes storing a plurality of library spectra, measuring a sequence of spectra from the substrate in-situ during polishing, and for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching library spectrum from the plurality of library spectra to generate a sequence of best matching library spectra. Each library spectrum has a stored associated value representing a degree of progress through a polishing process, and the stored associated value for the best matching library spectrum is determined for each best matching library spectrum to generate a sequence of values representing a progression of polishing of the substrate. The sequence of values is compared to a target value, and a polishing endpoint is triggered when the sequence of values reaches the target value.

公开(公告)号：US11701749B2

公开(公告)日：2023-07-18

申请号：US16351954

申请日：2019-03-13

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Boguslaw A. Swedek ,  Dominic J. Benvegnu ,  Chih Chung Chou ,  Nicholas Wiswell ,  Thomas H. Osterheld ,  Jeonghoon Oh

IPC: B24B37/04 ,  B24B49/12 ,  H01L21/66 ,  B24B37/013

CPC classification number: B24B37/013 ,  B24B37/04 ,  B24B49/12 ,  H01L22/12 ,  H01L22/26

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a platen to support a polishing pad, the platen having a recess, a flexible membrane in the recess, and an in-situ vibration monitoring system to generate a signal. The in-situ acoustic monitoring system includes a vibration sensor supported by the flexible membrane and positioned to couple to an underside of the polishing pad.

公开(公告)号：US11183435B2

公开(公告)日：2021-11-23

申请号：US16397870

申请日：2019-04-29

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

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

IPC: H01L21/66 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/306 ,  H01L21/3105 ,  H01L21/321 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24D7/14 ,  B24B49/12 ,  B24B49/08 ,  B24B37/20

Abstract: A method of detecting a polishing endpoint includes storing a plurality of library spectra, measuring a sequence of spectra from the substrate in-situ during polishing, and for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching library spectrum from the plurality of library spectra to generate a sequence of best matching library spectra. Each library spectrum has a stored associated value representing a degree of progress through a polishing process, and the stored associated value for the best matching library spectrum is determined for each best matching library spectrum to generate a sequence of values representing a progression of polishing of the substrate. The sequence of values is compared to a target value, and a polishing endpoint is triggered when the sequence of values reaches the target value.

公开(公告)号：US10948900B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-16

申请号：US15849562

申请日：2017-12-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

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

IPC: G05B19/418 ,  B24B37/20 ,  B24B49/12 ,  B24B37/04

Abstract: A method to assist in identifying a spectral feature and a characteristic of the selected spectral feature to monitor during polishing includes polishing a test substrate and measuring a sequence of spectra of light reflected from a substrate while the substrate is being polished, where at least some of the spectra of the sequence differ due to material being removed during the polishing. The sequence of spectra are visually displayed as a contour plot.

公开(公告)号：US20200258214A1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-13

申请号：US16414709

申请日：2019-05-16

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Nojan Motamedi ,  Dominic J. Benvegnu ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek ,  Martin A. Josefowicz

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G06T5/00 ,  H01L21/67 ,  G01B11/06

Abstract: A layer thickness measurement system includes a support to hold a substrate, an optical sensor to capture a color image of at least a portion of the substrate, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive the color image from the optical sensor, store a function that provides a value representative of a thickness as a function of position along a predetermined path in a coordinate space of at least two dimensions including a first color channel and a second color channel, for a pixel of the color image determine a coordinate of the pixel in the coordinate space from color data in the color image, determine a position of a point on the predetermined path that is closest to the coordinate, and calculate a value representative of a thickness from the function and the position of the point on the predetermined path.

公开(公告)号：US10741459B2

公开(公告)日：2020-08-11

申请号：US16150009

申请日：2018-10-02

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Wei Lu ,  Zhefu Wang ,  Zhihong Wang ,  Hassan G. Iravani ,  Dominic J. Benvegnu ,  Ingemar Carlsson ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek ,  Wen-Chiang Tu

IPC: B24B37/013 ,  B24B37/04 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01L21/321 ,  H01L21/32

Abstract: In fabrication of an integrated circuit having a layer with a plurality of conductive interconnects, a layer of a substrate is polished to provide the layer of the integrated circuit. The layer of the substrate includes conductive lines to provide the conductive interconnects. The layer of the substrate includes a closed conductive loop formed of a conductive material in a trench. A depth of the conductive material in the trench is monitored using an inductive monitoring system and a signal is generated. Monitoring includes generating a magnetic field that intermittently passes through the closed conductive loop. A sequence of values over time is extracted from the signal, the sequence of values representing the depth of the conductive material over time.

公开(公告)号：US10565701B2

公开(公告)日：2020-02-18

申请号：US14942777

申请日：2015-11-16

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Dominic J. Benvegnu ,  Robert D. Tolles ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek ,  Abraham Ravid

IPC: B24B37/013 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G06F3/0486 ,  G06T7/40 ,  G06T5/00 ,  G06T5/50 ,  H04N9/04 ,  G06F3/0484

Abstract: A polishing system includes a polishing station including a platen to support a polishing pad, a support to hold a substrate, an in-line metrology station to measure the substrate before or after polishing of a surface of the substrate in the polishing station, and a controller. The in-line metrology station includes a color line-scan camera, a white light source, a frame supporting the light source and the camera, and a motor to cause relative motion between the camera and the support along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis to cause the light source and the camera to scan across the substrate. The controller is configured to receive a color data from the camera, to generate a 2-dimensional color image from the color data, and to control polishing at the polishing station based on the color image.

公开(公告)号：US10103073B2

公开(公告)日：2018-10-16

申请号：US15694632

申请日：2017-09-01

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Wei Lu ,  Zhefu Wang ,  Zhihong Wang ,  Hassan G. Iravani ,  Dominic J. Benvegnu ,  Ingemar Carlsson ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek ,  Wen-Chiang Tu

IPC: H01L21/00 ,  H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01L21/321 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B37/04

Abstract: In fabrication of an integrated circuit having a layer with a plurality of conductive interconnects, a layer of a substrate is polished to provide the layer of the integrated circuit. The layer of the substrate includes conductive lines to provide the conductive interconnects. The layer of the substrate includes a closed conductive loop formed of a conductive material in a trench. A depth of the conductive material in the trench is monitored using an inductive monitoring system and a signal is generated. Monitoring includes generating a magnetic field that intermittently passes through the closed conductive loop. A sequence of values over time is extracted from the signal, the sequence of values representing the depth of the conductive material over time.

公开(公告)号：US10012494B2

公开(公告)日：2018-07-03

申请号：US14063740

申请日：2013-10-25

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jeffrey Drue David ,  Boguslaw A. Swedek

IPC: G01B11/02 ,  G01B13/02 ,  G01B11/06 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B49/12 ,  H01L21/66

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.

公开(公告)号：US20180113440A1

公开(公告)日：2018-04-26

申请号：US15849562

申请日：2017-12-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

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

IPC: G05B19/418 ,  B24B49/12 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B37/04 ,  B24B37/20

CPC classification number: G05B19/418 ,  B24B37/013 ,  B24B37/042 ,  B24B37/205 ,  B24B49/12 ,  G05B2219/45232

Abstract: A method to assist in identifying a spectral feature and a characteristic of the selected spectral feature to monitor during polishing includes polishing a test substrate and measuring a sequence of spectra of light reflected from a substrate while the substrate is being polished, where at least some of the spectra of the sequence differ due to material being removed during the polishing. The sequence of spectra are visually displayed as a contour plot.